The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced a definitive rule introducing increased patent fees, set to take effect on January 19, 2025. Justifying these adjustments, the USPTO cites a need for a 10% hike in up-front fees and a 7.5% rise for other fees, except in special cases where larger increments are warranted. The rationale behind the significant up-front fee increase is to align it more closely with the true costs of application examination. Notably, the established 60% and 80% fee reductions for small and micro entities will still apply. Specific fee adjustments will include substantial hikes for second and subsequent Requests for Continued Examination (RCEs), an increase in per-claim fees beyond 20 claims, and new fees for continued applications depending on their filing timeline relative to the initial ancestor. Additional changes will affect Information Disclosure Statements (IDSs), design patent application fees, and inter partes review costs, reflecting a general trend towards raising fees across various categories. The USPTO explains that the new fees for late continuing applications stem from a need to compensate for lost revenue on earlier filings, while increased design patent fees aim to cover the financial losses incurred from processing these applications. The agency also emphasizes the importance of concise IDS submissions, as excessive references can complicate the examination process and burden the USPTO. Moreover, the fee structure for reviving abandoned applications has been revised due to the required extra work involved in evaluating such cases. To mitigate the impacts of these fee increases, applicants are urged to consider timely filings and focused claims to streamline the prosecution process and avoid unnecessary costs. Applicants are encouraged to utilize appeals and submit relevant art in IDSs effectively, fostering a more efficient examination procedure.
This news is summarized and processed by the IP Topics artificial intelligence algorithm.
Read the full article on the original webpage: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/major-changes-in-pto-fees-effective-6619736/
The cover image belongs to the source website and is used as an integral part of the summary of the reference article.
Tags:
Notizie Brevi