New US Patent Fees
Effective October 2, 2008, the United States Patent Office fees will once again be changed, which is a yearly or bi-yearly event.
The filing fee to the Patent Office for an individual inventor or a small company that qualifies for small entity status (i.e., companies with fewer than 500 employees) is now $165.00.
For those who are familiar with the fee structure prior to December 8, 2004, you will remember that the filing fee for small entities was formerly $395.00. It would, however, be a mistake to believe that the Patent Office has decreased its fees in such a significant way.
The Patent Office has always like to charge a la carte fees, and now they have taken that tendency to new heights. In addition to the basic filing fee the patent fee legislation enacted on December 8, 2004, requires payment of a Search Fee ($270 for small entities) and an Examination Fee ($110 for small entities).
Therefore, the total fee due to the Patent Office for a small entity to successfully launch a non-provisional utility patent application is $540.00. It is also important to realize that this initial fee covers 3 independent claims and 17 dependent claims. If you have more claims it costs more.
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Photo by USPTO.
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