IPO announces review of patent fees

The Intellectual Property Office has announced a review of current patent fees.

A public consultation on proposed changes to current patent fees has been announced by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

The organisation - which is the official government body responsible for granting intellectual property (IP) rights in the UK - said both fee increases and discounts are included in the review.

It said it wants to ensure that innovative businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK are able to benefit from the IP system by ensuring patent fees are kept at an appropriate level.

However, this requirement must be balanced with the need for the IPO to generate a sustainable income.

Indeed, the IPO insisted that the proposals will allow patent fees to better reflect the costs of the services it provides and allow it to continue offering these services to its customers.

Intellectual Property minister David Lammy said it is important to ensure that businesses have a "functioning and value-generating IP system that supports and encourages innovation in the UK".

He added: "It's important to realise that UK patent fees are and would still remain some of the lowest in the world even if these proposals go ahead."

Among the proposals contained in the consultation paper are some increases to patent renewal fees, primarily for mature patents.

Under the plans, there would also be an increase in patent search and examination fees, although these would be offset by a larger discount for search and examination requests filed online.

The introduction of an excess claims fee and a litigation fee for contested patent proceedings at the IPO are also proposed.

Earlier this month, Mr Lammy gave a speech on the intellectual property issue at the World Intellectual Property Organisation conference in Geneva.

He said IP will play an important role in tackling many of the challenges facing modern society, such as poverty and climate change.