The USPTO recently announced a proposed new fee schedule in a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in search of revenue to
recover its projected $3 billion aggregated operating costs for the
2017 fiscal year. If enacted, it would be the Office's most
significant fee adjustment since March 2013. The Office is
proposing to increase 205 existing patent and PTAB fees.
There are also 42 new fees being introduced or replacing one of the
14 fees that are being discontinued. The proposed changes will
likely take effect October 1, 2017, the beginning of the
Office's next fiscal year. The Office is accepting public
comments until December 2, 2016.
The proposed adjustments include fees associated with
patent application filing, search and examination, RCE, PTAB
appeals, ex parte reexamination, IPRs, PGRs, and
CBMs. Among the 205 adjusted items, increases associated with
utility patent prosecution are the smallest, with most increases
being less than 10% (more details can be
