Huge Drop in Official Fees of Patent Registration；More Will Receive Annual Fees Deduction.

In accordance with the practice of the amended Patent Law, patent registration and certificate fees will be hugely decreased since July 1.  Patent annual fees will also be lowered 10% starting from the seventh year, a gospel to the high-tech industries that must pay enormous amounts of patent fees every year. 

 

 However, official fees for examining invention patents will be elevated.  Due to the amended Patent Law, utility model patent has now adopted non-substantive examination.  Filing a utility model application, applying for conversion of an application into a utility model application or filing a divisional application costs NT$3,000 per application.  The regulation stipulated in the amended Law regarding the technical report of utility model is NT$5,000 per application.  Official fees relating to design patent applications remain the same. 

 

 For the natural person, schools and small-medium industries that are in disadvantages of competitiveness and resources, Intellectual Property Office decided, their annual fees of the first three years may be exempted NT$800 (originally NT$2,500) and NT$1,200 every year (originally NT$5,000) through the fourth and sixth year.  According National Treatment Clause, this regulation is applicable to the natural person, schools and small-medium industries both in and outside of the country.   

 

In addition, filing application for substantive examination and re-examination is still charged by pages.  Official fees for filing an application for supplements or amendments to the specification or drawings are no longer required.  Filing an application for compulsory patent license and filing an application for abolishment of compulsory patent license are adjusted to NT$100,000 per application, the most expensive of all.  (2004.7)

CYJ/CHT