Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Information
For information concerning PCT member countries, see the notice
appearing in the Official Gazette at 1200 O.G. 98, on July 29, 1997.
For use of the European Patent Office as an International Searching
Authority for international applications filed in the United States
Receiving Office, see the notice appearing in the Official Gazette at
1022 O.G. 52, on September 28, 1982.
For use of the European Patent Office as an International Preliminary
Examining Authority for international applications filed in the United
States Receiving Office, see the notices appearing in the Official
Gazette at 1080 O.G. 2, on July 7, 1987, and at 1091 O.G. 2, on June 7,
1988. There is no longer a limit on the number of such international
applications accepted for international preliminary examination by the
European Patent Office; see the notice appearing at 1116 O.G. 32, on
July 17, 1990.
The search fee of the European Patent Office was decreased, effective
July 1, 1997, and was announced in the Official Gazette at 1200 O.G. 97,
on July 29, 1997.
International fees were changed, effective on May 1, 1997, due to
a change in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss
franc, and were announced in the Official Gazette at 1197 O.G. 69, on
April 22, 1997.
Certain domestic PCT fees and charges for International Search and
Preliminary Examination were changed, effective October 1, 1996, and were
announced in the Official Gazette at 1189 O.G. 62, on August 20, 1996.
The schedule of PCT fees (in U.S. dollars), effective July 1, 1997,
is as follows:
International Application (PCT Chapter I) fees:
Transmittal fee: 230.00
Search Fee
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as
International Searching Authority (ISA)
- No corresponding prior U.S. national
application filed 680.00
- Corresponding prior U.S. national
application filed 440.00
- Supplemental search fee, per
additional invention (payable only upon invitation) 200.00
European Patent Office as ISA 1310.00
International fees
Basic fee 530.00
Basic supplemental fee (for each page
over 30) 10.00
Designation fee per country or region
- For the first 11 national or regional
offices designated 128.00
- For each designation in excess
of 11 offices No Charge
Precautionary designation fee and confirmation fee
for each precautionary designation confirmed
(PCT Rule 15.5)
- Designation fee 128.00
- Confirmation fee 64.00
International Application (PCT Chapter II) fees associated
with filing a Demand for Preliminary Examination:
Handling fee 162.00
Preliminary examination fee
USPTO as International Preliminary
Examining Authority (IPEA)
- USPTO was ISA in PCT Chapter I 480.00
- Additional examination fee, per
additional invention (payable only
upon invitation) 140.00
- USPTO was not ISA in PCT Chapter I 730.00
- Additional examination fee,
per additional invention (payable
only upon invitation) 260.00
Small
U.S. National Stage Fees Entity Regular
Basic National fee
USPTO was IPEA
- All claims presented satisfied
provisions of PCT Article
33(2) to (4) 48.00 96.00
- All claims presented did not satisfy
provisons of PCT Article
33(2) to (4) 350.00 700.00
USPTO was ISA but not IPEA 385.00 770.00
USPTO was neither ISA nor IPEA
- Search report has not been prepared
by the European Patent Office or
the Japanese Patent Office 520.00 1040.00
- Search report has been prepared by
the European Patent Office or the
Japanese Patent Office 455.00 910.00
Other National fees
- For each independent
claim in excess of 3 40.00 80.00
- For each claim in excess of 20 11.00 22.00
- For each application con-
taining a multiple depen-
dent claim 130.00 260.00
- Surcharge for filing oath or
declaration after the time
limit applicable under PCT
Article 22 or 39(1) 65.00 130.00
- Processing fee for filing
English translation after
the time limit applicable
under PCT Article 22 or
39(1) 130.00 130.00
July 7, 1997 BRUCE A. LEHMAN
Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
Patent Cooperation Treaty Update
The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property
Organization has informed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that, due
to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the
German mark, the dollar amount of the search fee charged by the European
Patent Office for international applications filed in the United States
Receiving Office will decrease to $1180.00, effective October 1, 1997.
August 21, 1997 BRUCE A. LEHMAN
Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks