In December 2018, the United States Patent and Trade Mark Office (USPTO) undertook a review of its fees. After consultation with the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) and the general public, the USPTO has announced changes to its official fees for trade marks. These changes will commence on 2 January 2021.
The fee changes are aimed at:
- enhancing the quality of trade mark examination
- achieving optimal examination times
- allowing for investment in modernizing trade mark IT systems and infrastructure
- providing stability to USPTO operations in times of financial fluctuations.
The main trade mark fee changes are summarised in the table below. For further details, see the USPTO website.
|
|
Current fee per class (US$) |
Fee per class from 2 January 2020 (US$) |
Fee change per class (US$) |
Regular application |
$275 |
$350 |
+$75 |
Reduced application (using USPTO approved goods/services) |
$225 |
$250 |
+$25 |
Registration Declaration of Use |
$125 |
$225 |
+$100 |
Registration Renewal and Declaration of Use |
$425 |
$525 |
+$100 |
Petition to the Director |
$100 |
$250 |
+$150 |
Petition to revive an abandoned application |
$100 |
$150 |
+$50 |
Notice of Opposition |
$400 |
$600 |
+$200 |
Petition for Cancellation |
$400 |
$600 |
+$200 |
*the current exchange rate is about US$1.00 = NZ$1.42
We recommend considering your US intellectual property protection now to take advantage of the current fees before they increase on 2 January 2021. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
