U.S. Patent and Trademark Office raising patent fees

Patent Maintenance Fees to increase significantly on March 19, 2013

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, was given the authority to set their own fees. These new fees set by the USPTO will be effective on March 19, 2013. Patent maintenance fees under this new system have significantly increased. Below are charts showing the current maintenance fees and new maintenance fees.

Current Patent Maintenance Fees	Large Entity	Small Entity
Due at 3.5 years	$1,150	$575
Due at 7.5 years	2,900	1,450
Due at 11.5 years	4,810	2,405

Patent Maintenance Fees -- March 19, 2013	Large Entity	Small Entity	Micro Entity
Due at 3.5 years	$1,600	$800	$400
Due at 7.5 years	3,600	1,800	900
Due at 11.5 years	7,400	3,700	1,850

If you have any patent maintenance fees due within the next 12 months, consideration should be given to paying the fees before March 19, 2013. You may be able to recognize a significant cost savings.

For more information, please contact:

Todd A. Benni

561.847.2349

tbenni@mcdonaldhopkins.com

Intellectual Property

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© 2013 McDonald Hopkins LLC All Rights Reserved. This Alert is designed to provide current information for our clients, friends and their advisors regarding important legal developments. The foregoing discussion is general information rather than specific legal advice. Because it is necessary to apply legal principles to specific facts, always consult your legal advisor before using this discussion as a basis for a specific action.