When applying for a patent application, certain entities are entitled to reduced USPTO filing fees. Applicants who qualify for small entity status can reduce many USPTO fees by 60%. Applicants who are micro entities can...more
The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced that official fees for some services will increase on April 1, 2026, following the previous fee increase in April 2024. From April 1, 2026, the increase includes higher fees...more
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is navigating a period of significant transition. Driven by workforce shifts, operational restructuring, evolving approaches to subject matter eligibility, and new fee structures,...more
Another day, another change at the USPTO. If you have ever filed a patent application, you know there is a section that asks for your entity status: Large, Small, or Micro. If you have ever asked yourself whether size...more
With the advent of claim fees in 2022, applicants must now limit the number of claims in their Canadian patent applications to avoid government fees. While cancelling claims (particularly dependent claims) is the simplest...more
In a Federal Register Notice published October 27, 2025 (“Notice”), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new pilot program called the “Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program” (hereinafter “Pilot Program”)....more
On July 17, 2024, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched a new electronic system and portal, MyCIPO Patents, as part of its Next Generation Patents initiative. While the platform will be extremely helpful...more
The European Patent Office (EPO) provides reductions to many of the official fees due during the grant procedure of a European patent application. These reductions can significantly reduce the total costs of bringing a...more
Effective Jan. 19, 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) patent fees will see about a 7.5 percent across-the-board increase. 89 Fed. Reg. 91898 (Nov. 20, 2024). Some patent fees will see significantly steeper...more
On December 1, 2018, the Canadian government released its proposed new Patent Rules in the Canada Gazette, Part I. This is one of the last steps necessary for implementing significant changes to Canada’s patent law, which are...more
China is in the midst of a tremendous patent boom. Worldwide, total patent application filings were up 7.8% in 2015, with China accounting for 84% of the total growth[1]. In 2015, the State Intellectual Property Office of the...more