Patent fees to rise

The fees for registering and renewing patents are set to increase in April. The Intellectual Property Office has this week published a summary table and new guidance on the changes, which it consulted on last year. There will be an increase to the application fee and a 25% surcharge if it is not paid at the time of filing, as well as fee rises for search and examination, an excess claims fee and an excess pages fee. The IPO says it aims to raise funds and encourage good filing practices.