ARE YOUR PATENT OFFICE MAINTENANCE FEES DUE IN 2020?

ARE YOUR PATENT OFFICE MAINTENANCE FEES DUE IN 2020?

Who can pay?

Maintenance fees and any necessary surcharges may be paid by the patentee or by any person or organization on behalf of a patentee. 

What to include with payment?

You must include both the patent number and corresponding application number with your maintenance fee payment. For a reissue patent number, include the reissue application number.

If you have a change in entity status, make sure this is processed before attempting to pay online. If you are paying by fax or mail, submit your entity status request along with your maintenance fee payment.

How much to pay?

When you pay online, the fees due are automatically calculated based on the current entity status on file for your patent.

When to pay?

You may pay without surcharge at 3 to 3.5 years, 7 to 7.5 years, and 11 to 11.5 years after the date of issue. You cannot pay early. You may also pay with a surcharge during the “grace periods” at 3.5 to 4 years, 7.5 to 8 years, and 11.5 to 12 years after the date of issue.

A maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge must be submitted in the amount due on the date the maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge are paid. Payment of less than the required amount will not constitute payment of a maintenance fee or surcharge on a patent. If the last day for paying a maintenance fee without surcharge, or the last day for paying a maintenance fee with surcharge, falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a federal holiday, the maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge may be paid on the next succeeding day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday.