Reduced Fees for European Patent Applications for Small and Medium-Sized Entities

On April 1, 2024, several important fee adjustments were implemented, following a thorough review of the fee structure of the European Patent Office (EPO) by the Administrative Council. This package of fee measures includes dedicated reductions for micro-entities, simplification of the fee system, incentives for digitalisation, and ensures the Organisation's financial sustainability through moderate increases in procedural and internal renewal fees.

Expanding on successful initiatives aimed at assisting small and medium-sized applicants in securing patent protection and commercialising their inventions across Europe and globally, the EPO implements additional support tailored to innovative entities requiring financial assistance to engage with the European patent system i.e., micro-enterprises, natural persons, non-profit organisations, universities and public research organisations. These micro-entities will benefit from a 30% reduction in all main fees throughout the patent grant procedure, provided they have filed fewer than 5 applications in the last 5 years.

Those fee reductions complement the existing support measures for small and medium-sized entities, which include:

a reduction of the filing and examination fees when the European patent application or the request for examination is in an official language of a contracting state but other than English, French or German;

·a compensation lump sum for Unitary Patent-related translation costs;

·a reduced appeal fees.

Additionally, the EPO has published a comprehensive set of frequently asked questions (FAQ) to assist users.