EPO fee changes from 1 April 2020

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The European Patent Office (EPO) has issued its Decision to increase the official fees as of 1 April 2020.

The majority of all official fees will be increased.

Payments of official fees that will become due after 1 April 2020 can be made early, i.e. by the end of March, in order to still profit from the old fee schedule.

A link to the official Decision of the EPO to increase the fees can be found here.

Below please see a list of the most important fees showing the costs before and after the cut-off date of 1 April 2020.

 

Fee Description Before 1 April  2020
(EUR)
After 1 April 2020
(EUR)
Filing fee 120 125
Additional fee for a European patent application comprising more than 35 pages
(per page)
15 16
Search fee for a European or supplementary European search
(on an application filed on or after 1 July 2005)
1300 1350
Designation fee (flat fee) 585 610
Renewal fees:
3rd year renewal fee 470 490
4th year renewal fee 585 610
5th year renewal fee 820 855
6th year renewal fee 1050 1090
7th year renewal fee 1165 1210
8th year renewal fee 1280 1330
9th year renewal fee 1395 1450
10th – 20th year renewal fee 1575 1640
Examination fee
(for an application filed after July 1st, 2005)
1635 1700
Examination fee for an international application filed on or after July 1st 2005
for which no European Search Report is drawn up
1825 1900
Fee for grant and printing 925 960
Opposition fee 785 815
Appeal fee, filed by a natural person or small entity 1880 1955
Appeal fee, filed by any other entity 2255 2705
Further processing fee 255 265
Fee for re-establishment of rights 640 665
Claims fee, for the 16th and each subsequent claim up to the limit of 50 235 245
Claims fee, for the 51st and each subsequent claim 585 610

 

European Patent Validation

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Not to be confused with the much delayed Unitary Patent, the European Patent system provides companies with an important structure for protecting and exploiting inventions in Europe. However, certain requirements must be met if patent holders are to make best use of the system.

Unlike the European Union Trade Mark (EUTM), which protects trademarks across the European Union on registration, a European Patent (EP) does not automatically deliver Europe-wide protection on grant. Instead, an EP patent application will be filed first at the European Patent Office (EPO, and then, after the EPO has granted the European patent, it is extended to other signatory countries via the EP validation process.

Valet Patent Services, LLP offers a low cost, highly efficient and centralized European patents validation service. With us, you have a single point of contact to manage your European patent validation in each of 38 EP member states. We offer a significantly lower cost service than other providers. Send us an email to mail@valetpatentdev.wpengine.com for a locked-in quote.

Core requirements: language translation, address for service and payment of fees

The EP validation process is subject to a number of important requirements and deadlines. In particular, companies seeking to validate their EP rights need to do so within three months of first grant and, depending on the country in question, adhere to certain translation requirements.

Group 1 – no translation requirements Signatory countries that share an official language with the European Patent Office (English, French or German) no longer require the EP to be translated into their national language. This applies to: France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland/Liechtenstein and the UK.
Group 2 – claim translation only All other signatory countries require the claims to be translated into their national languages as part of the validation process. Some of these countries also require a description in English.
Group 3 – full translation required Non-signatory countries to continue to require a full translation of the patent into their national language.

In addition to translation requirements, there are a number of countries that require a local address for service or appointment of a local patent attorney. Often, there are validation fees to be paid.

At Valet Patent Services, LLP, we handle all of these requirements in each country. You will receive a single invoice for the entire European patent validation project. Send us an email to mail@valetpatentdev.wpengine.com for a locked in quote for your next European patent validation project.

Getting the translation right

Companies seeking to validate their patents in countries requiring claim or full translation need access to specialized translators with the deep industry and scientific knowledge necessary to provide patent translations in their technical field. For this reason, it’s important to work with an IP adviser who can match you to the right translator for your industry sector and specific needs. This can help to ensure that translations are faithful to the original text, and requirements of the designated countries.

At Valet Patent Services, LLP, we only work with mother tongue translators who have the requisite technical qualifications in your field. Send us an email to mail@valetpatentdev.wpengine.com for a locked-in quote for your next European patent validation project.

Focusing on the most appropriate markets

It’s not necessary to validate patents in every signatory state; instead, companies should favor core distribution, transportation and/or manufacturing markets when validating their EP rights. For advice in this regard, please email us at mail@valetpatentdev.wpengine.com.

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