(Publ. 13 MAR 2020) The European Patent Office (EPO) announces that they will increase many of its official fees from April 1, 2020. The fees are in average increased by 4-5% to reflect inflation, while some single fees are increased by up to 20%. This is the first general fee increase since year 2016.

The majority of the fee increases are relatively small, by about 4-5%. Still, it can be worthwhile to consider if there are fees that can be paid before April 1, 2020, at the current lower prices.

For instance, the maintenance fees will get higher, and since the EPO accepts payment of maintenance fees three months in advance before due date, it could be advantageous to pay such fees before April 1, 2020. Filing a divisional application, would also bring savings if filed before April 1, 2020.

The official fee for filing an appeal for Large Entity Applicants, is increased substantially by nearly 20%. If you consider filing an appeal, we recommend you to file it before April 1, 2020. You have two months from the date of filing the appeal to submit your grounds of appeal. Appellants that qualify for the reduced appeal fee (such as a natural person, small- or medium-sized companies, non-profit organizations, universities and research organizations), the appeal fee increases only by 5%.

You are welcome to contact info@groth.eu if you have any questions.