In May, we reported that the Australian Patent Office had issued
a proposal to change certain official fees with effect from 1
August 2010 [
http://www.shelstonip.com/news_story.asp?m=5&y=2010&nsid=145].
These fee changes have now been approved and the Patents
Regulations 1991 updated accordingly. They include, in
particular, a new official fee which will effectively close a
loophole in relation to acceptance fees for patents with more than
20 claims.
The percentage increase in official fees varies significantly
depending on the item. Given the present global economic climate,
the magnitude of some increases is perhaps surprising eg. the fee
for requesting an extension of patent term is to rise from AU$1300
to AU$2000 (54%!) and the fee for filing a provisional application
is to rise from AU$80 to AU$110 (37.5%). On the other hand, the
increase in the fee for other items is relatively modest eg. the
fee for entering the Australian national phase is to rise
