Patent Law Practice Center

Micro Entities do Well in Proposed Patent Fees

At the end of May 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a proposed rule change with the publication of a Federal Register notice titled Changes to Implement Micro Entity Status for Paying Patent Fees. The Office seeks written comments no later than July 30, 2012.  On September 6, 2012, the USPTO published proposed patent fees in the Federal Register, seeking to set fees for the first time under the authority derived from the America Invents Act.

These fees include micro-entity fees that are steeply discounted over the full fee.  Indeed, the proposed patent fees made public for comment on September 6, 2012, significantly raise virtually all fees on small entities and large entities.  Only micro-entities see a discount compared to the patent fees charged today.  Because all fees across the board have gone up the micro-entity discount, while certainly significant, will not be quite what some were hoping for when dreaming of $.25-on-the-dollar fees based on what the fees are presently.

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