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ARTICLE · 07 SEPTEMBER 2020

Adjusted USPTO Patent Fees Effective October 2020

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The USPTO has recently reported fee increases to take effect on October 2, 2020 relating to the filing and prosecution of patent applications and the maintenance of patents.

United StatesIntellectual Property
Philippe J.C. Signore, Ph.D.
Philippe J.C. Signore, Ph.D.
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The USPTO has recently reported fee increases to take effect on October 2, 2020 relating to the filing and prosecution of patent applications and the maintenance of patents. These fee increases were explained by the USPTO as necessary to fund the USPTO's operating reserves, address rising costs, and to support efforts to increase patent examination speed and quality. For instance, some of the additional fee revenue will go to investments in existing IT infrastructure and new IT systems. Additionally, while the USPTO will raise most fees by an average of 5%, certain fees will have a greater increase to incentivize patent applicants to streamline prosecution. The fees discussed below reflect utility patent application fees for large entities. The discounted fees charged to small and micro entities will be increased by similar percentages.

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