Official Fees to Increase at UKIPO

UKIPO will raise official fees on 1 April 2026, with patent fees up 25–40% and trade mark/design fees up 20–25%. Despite increases, UK IP remains cost-effective. Changes support new digital systems. Applicants may benefit from acting before April 2026.

The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has announced that it is planning to raise its official fees for the first time in many years. 

The increases are due to take place on 1st April 2026, and will apply to all payments made on or after that date, for both granted rights and pending applications.

For patents and patent applications, including Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs), the increases range between 25 and 40%, with most increases being in the region of 33%.

For registered trade marks and registered designs, the increases range from 20 to 25%, with most increases being closer to 25%.

Even with these fee increases, UK intellectual property rights remain a highly cost-effective form of protection.   If full advantage is taken of the UKIPO’s on-line systems, the total official fees to obtain a patent will still be as low as £405, while the official fees for a trade mark application in a single class will still be only £205.  The fees for an application to register a single design will be £60, while it will still be possible to apply to register up to 50 designs in a single application for just £185.

In comparison, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) currently charges official fees to obtain a Utility patent totalling $2000 (~£1520) with a further $1290 (~£980) at grant.  For a design patent, the USPTO charges fees totalling $1300 (~£990) plus a further $1300 (~£990) at grant.  The USPTO official fees for a single class trademark application are currently $350 (~£266) and there is a further fee of $150 (~£114) to complete registration.  

The UKIPO has not raised its official fees since 2018 for patents, 2016 for designs and as far back as 1998 for trade marks.  Meanwhile, UK inflation has risen by around 32% just since 2016.  The UKIPO is on the process of introducing a range of new digital systems, and these increases are intended to “enable the IPO to continue to invest in its systems and provide high quality services”.

The increases are subject to Parliamentary approval, but this is most unlikely to be withheld.  The UKIPO will publish further detailed guidance in due course.  

While these increases are significant in themselves, we believe that they shouldn’t be big enough to change anyone’s approach to protecting their intellectual property.  Nevertheless, we believe that it may well be worth bringing forward actions falling due on or soon after 1st April 2026, in order to avoid unnecessary costs.

It should also be borne in mind that in order to obtain high-quality, enforceable intellectual property rights, it is still advisable to take specialist professional advice, so as to achieve the best results.  With the prospect of continued evolution in UK intellectual property law and practice over the next few years, it will be more important than ever to keep up with the latest developments by consulting qualified and regulated patent and trade mark attorneys.

If you require further guidance on the UKIPO fee changes or help accelerating filings or registrations before implementation, please contact our attorneys at Franks & Co