From April 06, 2010, the UK Intellectual Property Office is introducing a number of changes to the fees for applying for UK patent protection, including changes to application fees and renewal fees.

UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) Fee Changes

The main fee changes affected from April 06, 2010 are as follows:

 

Fees applicable prior to April 6, 2010

Fees effective from April 06, 2010

Patent Application Fee

 

(Patents Form 1, or later)

Paper £30

E-filed £20

Paper £30

E-filed £20

Patent Search Fee

(Patents Form 9A)

Paper £100

E-filed £90

Paper £150

E-filed £130

Patent Examination Fee

(Patents Form 10)

Paper £70

E-filed £60

Paper £100

E-filed £80

Therefore, there will be just under a 30% rise on fees applicable when filing of a UK patent application. However, the official fees charged for a UK patent application at the UK Intellectual Property Office are still more than £1,000 less than those  of the alternatives of a European or International patent application, each of which include the United Kingdom as a designated state.

It is advantageous for any businesses looking to file a UK patent application in the near future to do so before April 06, 2010.


Article Published February 10th, 2010