VIRGINIA - As part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regular assessment of fees under its fee-setting authority, USPTO is announcing updated patent fees in a final rule, effective January 19, 2025. These fee adjustments will provide the Office with sufficient funding to effectively and efficiently administer the US patent system and continue progress toward achieving its strategic goals, according to the official website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
USPTO updated patent fees provided with additional resources to reflect the budgetary impact of new discounts enacted under the Unleashing American Innovators Act for small businesses, independent inventors, and others who qualify as "small entities" or "micro entities." Additionally, this allows USPTO to maintain efficient operations and support for our 14,000+ employees across the country dedicated to serving American innovators. Both the updated patent and trademark fees will enable us to accomplish our mission to drive U.S. innovation, inclusive capitalism, and global competitiveness.
USPTO patent proposal is shaped by public feedback it has received since it published a Federal Register Notice on April 20, 2023, that announced plans to exercise the Office authority to set or adjust patent fees. On May 18, 2023, the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) held a public hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, and invited members of the public to submit comments on fee adjustments. Following the hearing, PPAC provided USPTO with a written report detailing the public comments received and its recommendations regarding the proposed fees. It considered and analyzed all comments, advice, and recommendations, and on April 3, 2024, published a notice of proposed rulemaking on setting and adjusting patent fees. USPTO again invited additional comments which it considered, and in response decided not to move forward with three targeted proposals and revised an additional three targeted proposals.
The three fee changes USPTO is not moving forward include:
• a new fee for After Final Consideration Pilot 2.0 requests;
• a targeted increase to the patent term adjustment fee; and
• terminal disclaimer tiered fees.
The three revised fee changes (and their revisions) include:
• upward adjustment of the timing thresholds for continuing applications;
• substantial reduction to the adjusted patent term extension fee; and
• elimination of the proposed new tier for third and subsequent requests for continued examination, and corresponding adjustments to the existing fee for second and subsequent requests.
Responses to these comments are included in the final rule.
“Our updated patent fees will allow us to enhance patent examination quality, achieve patent pendency goals, and continue investing in modern information technology systems and architecture,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Kathi Vidal. “We appreciate all the public feedback we received as we continue to work to serve America’s innovators and drive our nation’s competitiveness.”
The America Invents Act of 2011 permits the agency to set and/or adjust individual patent fees above, below, or equal to the cost of particular services, so long as the aggregate revenues for all patent fees recover the aggregate estimated costs of the patent operation.