London, Leeds & Exeter
Mon 4th Mar 2024
Increases to EPO fees from 1 April 2024
Services: Applying for a patent overseas, Obtaining a patent, Opposing and defending a patent at the EPO, Patent application drafting and filing, Patent renewal service, Patent searching and watching, Patents
Sectors:
As announced in the Decision of the Administrative Council of 14 December 2023, effective from 1 April 2024 many of the fees of the EPO will be increasing.
An overview of some of the more common fees and any changes coming into effect is shown below. You can find a complete list of the changes on the EPO website.
|
Fee |
Fee prior to 1 April 2024 (€) |
Fee from 1 April 2024 (€) |
Approximate change (%) |
|
Filing fee (online) |
135 |
135 |
No change |
|
Fee for European search |
1460 |
1520 |
+4 |
|
Designation Fee |
660 |
685 |
+4 |
|
Examination Fee |
1840 |
1915 |
+4 |
|
Renewal fees for 3rd year |
530 |
690 |
+30 |
|
Renewal fees for 4th year |
660 |
845 |
+28 |
|
Renewal fees for 5th year |
925 |
1000 |
+8 |
|
Renewal fees for 6th year |
1180 |
1155 |
-2 |
|
Renewal fees for 7th year |
1305 |
1310 |
+0.4 |
|
Renewal fees for 8th year |
1440 |
1465 |
+2 |
|
Renewal fees for 9th year |
1570 |
1620 |
+3 |
|
Renewal fees for 10th and each subsequent year |
1775 |
1775 |
No change |
|
Fee for grant and printing |
1040 |
1080 |
+4 |
|
Opposition fee |
880 |
880 |
No change |
|
Appeal fee |
2015 |
2015 |
No change |
|
Excess claims fee |
265 (for 16th-50th claim) 660 (for 51st and each subsequent claim) |
275 (for 16th-50th claim) 685 (for 51st and each subsequent claim) |
+4 |
While many fees have seen an increase of around 4%, there has been a much greater rise in the renewal fees for the third and fourth years. Under the EPC it is permissible to pay the renewal fee up to three months in advance of the due date, and so applicants may want to consider whether they can save money by completing any acts, and particularly by paying their renewal fees, before the fee increases come into effect on 1 April 2024.
If you have any questions about the fee increases and how they may affect you, please contact any of the team at Page White Farrer.
