Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) news and announcements

April 1, 2024 Change to EPO Search Fee

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by the European Patent Office (EPO) when acting as an International Searching Authority.  The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the EPO will be $1,989 and will go into effect April 1, 2024.

The revised PCT Fee Schedule will be available at: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/international-protection/patent-cooperation-treaty/pct-fees-us-dollars

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) as ISA/IPEA

Effective 06 March 2024, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) may act as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for international applications filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a Receiving Office (RO/US).  The dollar amount of the search fee required by the IPOPHL when acting as an ISA is $600. 

The following restrictions apply: (1) the applications are submitted in English; (2) the IPOPHL is chosen as a competent authority by the applicant; and (3) the IPOPHL has not received more than 75 international applications from the USPTO during any fiscal quarter. The IPOPHL will also act as an IPEA if these three requirements are met and the IPOPHL acted as the ISA.

March 1, 2024 Changes to PCT Fees

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amounts of the following fees for international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office will be changed and will go into effect March 1, 2024.

  • International filing fee - $1,562
  • International filing fee-filed electronically without ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,445
  • International filing fee-filed electronically with ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,327
  • Supplemental fee for each additional page over 30 - $18 

The International Bureau of the WIPO has informed the USPTO that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amount for the handling fee required by USPTO when acting as an International Preliminary Examining Authority will be changed and will go into effect March 1, 2024.

  • Handling fee - $235 

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by the Israel Patent Office (ILPO) when acting as an International Searching Authority. The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the ILPO will be $1,066 and will go into effect March 1, 2024.

January 1, 2024 Changes to PCT Fees

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amounts of the following fees for international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office will be changed and will go into effect January 1, 2024.

  • International filing fee - $1,454
  • International filing fee-filed electronically without ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,345
  • International filing fee-filed electronically with ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,235
  • Supplemental fee for each additional page over 30 - $16 

The International Bureau of the WIPO has informed the USPTO that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amount for the handling fee required by USPTO when acting as an International Preliminary Examining Authority will be changed and will go into effect January 1, 2024.

  • Handling fee - $219 

The International Bureau of the WIPO has informed the USPTO that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fees required by the following International Searching Authorities and will go into effect January 1, 2024.

  • European Patent Office (EPO) - $1,870
  • Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) - $879
  • IP Australia (IPAU) - $1,407
  • Israel Patent Office (ILPO) - $997
  • Japan Patent Office (JPO) - $1,129
  • Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) - $1,633 

December 1, 2023 Change to ILPO Search Fee

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by the Israel Patent Office (ILPO) when acting as an International Searching Authority. The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the ILPO will be $998 and will go into effect December 1, 2023. 

November 1, 2023 Changes to Certain PCT Fees

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amounts of the following fees for international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office will be changed and will go into effect November 1, 2023.

  • International filing fee - $1,515
  • International filing fee-filed electronically without ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,401
  • International filing fee-filed electronically with ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,287
  • Supplemental fee for each additional page over 30 - $17

The International Bureau of the WIPO has informed the USPTO that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amount for the handling fee required by USPTO when acting as an International Preliminary Examining Authority will be changed and will go into effect November 1, 2023.

  • Handling fee - $228

The International Bureau of the WIPO has informed the USPTO that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by IP Australia (IPAU) when acting as an International Searching Authority.  The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the IPAU will be $1,411 and will go into effect November 1, 2023.

September 1, 2023 Change to JPO Search Fee

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) when acting as an International Searching Authority.  The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the JPO will be $1,167 and will go into effect September 1, 2023.

April 1, 2023 Changes to Certain PCT Fees

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that new dollar amounts have been established for the following fees for small and micro entities and will go into effect April 1, 2023.

Fee codeDescriptionSmall entity feeMicro entity fee
2602/3602United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as International Searching Authority (ISA)872.00436.00
2604/3604Supplemental search fee, per additional invention (payable only upon invitation)872.00436.00
2605/3605Preliminary examination fee - USPTO was ISA in PCT Chapter I256.00128.00
2606/3606Preliminary examination fee - USPTO was not ISA in PCT Chapter I320.00160.00
2607/3607Additional examination fee, per additional invention (payable only upon invitation)256.00128.00
2627/3627Late furnishing fee for providing a sequence listing in response to an invitation under PCT Rule 13ter128.0064.00

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by IP Australia (IPAU) when acting as an International Searching Authority.  The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the IPAU will be $1,523 and will go into effect April 1, 2023.

March 1, 2023 Changes to Certain PCT Fees

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amounts of the following fees for international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office will be changed and will go into effect March 1, 2023.

  • International filing fee - $1,435
  • International filing fee-filed electronically without ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,327
  • International filing fee-filed electronically with ePCT or PCT-EASY .zip file - $1,219
  • Supplemental fee for each additional page over 30 - $16

The International Bureau of the WIPO has informed the USPTO that due to changes in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with regard to the Swiss franc, the dollar amount for the handling fee required by USPTO when acting as an International Preliminary Examining Authority will be changed and will go into effect March 1, 2023.

  • Handling fee - $216

The International Bureau of the WIPO has informed the USPTO that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fees required by the following International Searching Authorities and will go into effect March 1, 2023.

  • Israel Patent Office (ILPO) - $1,075
  • Japan Patent Office (JPO) - $1,277
  • Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) - $1,664

February 1, 2023 Change to Certain International Search Fees

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by the European Patent Office (EPO) when acting as an International Searching Authority.  The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the EPO will be $1,875 and will go into effect February 1, 2023.

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office that a new dollar amount has been established for the search fee required by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) when acting as an International Searching Authority.  The new dollar amount of the search fee required by the KIPO will be $924 and will go into effect February 1, 2023.

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