U.S. patent post-allowance fees will decrease substantially effective January 1, 2014. For example, the utility patent issue fee for large entities will decrease from $1,780 to $960 and to $480 and $240, respectively, for small and micro entities. No fees will have to be paid for publication fees.
The USPTO has informed us that “an applicant may pay issue fees on or after January 1, 2014 to take advantage of the fee reductions, provided that the issue fee payment is received by the due date (from the Notice of Allowance)” (emphasis added).
Notices of allowance mailed by the USPTO on or after October 1, 2013, may identify the fees presently in force for payment. However, a separate addendum page should be included stating that “if the issue fee is being timely paid on or after January 1, 2014, the amount due is the issue fee and publication fee in effect on January 1, 2014.”
