Official fees are the charges that the patent and trade mark offices around the world make when you apply for intellectual property protection. These fees will be in addition to any charges your patent or trade mark attorney makes for their professional services, so when you get an estimate or a quotation from an attorney make sure you understand whether the charges you are quoted include the official fees.

By way of illustration, these are just a few of the actions for which the UKIPO will make a charge.

Patents

Application fee for a patent application
Late additions and declarations of priority
Continuation of proceedings before the Comptroller
Request for a further search under section 17(6) or payment for a supplementary search under section17(8)
Request for a substantive examination
Notice of opposition to proceedings before the Comptroller
Request to be informed of future events relating to a patent application or patent (caveat)
Request to extend a prescribed time limit
Application for grant of a Supplementary Protection Certificate

Trade marks

Application to register a trade mark, covering one class of goods or service
Fee for each additional class above one class
Request to the Registrar for a statement of grounds of a decision
Request to receive notification of conflicting later filed marks
Request to divide an application
Application to record a change of ownership
Application to remove or amend the recordal of a licence

Registered designs

Application to register one or more designs
Application to publish one or more designs or which publication has been deferred
Request for a search of the UK designs register
Request to restore a registration

Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys are able to advise on which of the many items on the extensive “menu” of options available from each patent and trade mark office are actually relevant in a particular case. See also our section on how official fees are set.