This month's tip comes from the frequent phone calls the Inventor's Assistance Center receives asking "how to pay my maintenance fees" and complaints from patent holders who have received misleading solicitations from companies offering assistance with patent renewal. In fact, you can easily renew your patent yourself.

The Office has tried to provide a number of avenues for you to determine when your fees are due. First, when your patent is granted, you receive a "Letters of Patent Grant." On the inside flap of the patent a "NOTICE" is printed as a reminder for maintenance fees. Generally these fees are due at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years from the date the patent is granted and can be paid without a surcharge during the six-month period preceding each due date.

Next, if you're uncertain when your fee is due you can access that information on our web site at https://ramps.uspto.gov/eram/, by clicking on "Pay Maintenance Fees." Here you can input your application serial number and patent number to see what fees have been paid and what fees are due.

The Office also allows you to pay your maintenance fee over the internet, go to http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/old/mfeepayment.htm for detailed instructions about paying with a deposit account, credit card or electronic transfer of funds.

Finally, you can contact our Maintenance Branch at 703-308-5069.

BE ADVISED THAT THE OFFICE DOES NOT MAIL NOTICES TO PATENT OWNERS ADVISING THEM THAT A MAINTENANCE FEE IS DUE.

So here's what you need to pay a maintenance fee timely:

Form PTO/SB/45 found at http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/sb0045.pdf
Complete the form including application number with series code (xx/xxxxxx) and patent number
The appropriate fee found on our fee schedule (please check the current fee schedule): http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/qs/ope/1999/fee20021001.htm#maintain

Mail these items to:
United States Patent and Trademark Office
P.O. Box 371611
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-1611

A maintenance fee statement will be sent to the correspondence address of record when the application was filed. If the address of record is no longer valid you need to request a Customer Number, Form PTO/SB/125, http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/sb0125.pdf and a "Fee Address" Indication Form, PTO/SB/47, http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/sb0047.pdf, so that any future correspondence will be directed to you.

Next month's tip - What do I do if my patent has expired for failure to pay my maintenance fee in a timely manner?