Earlier this year, the Canadian Patent Office announced that it will increase its official fees on January 1, 2024, in some cases by as much as 36%.
As a cost-saving measure, applicants and patentees may wish to pay upcoming Patent Office fees before the fee increases come into effect. Here are three ways that applicants could save on official fees that might be paid early:
1. Maintenance fees – Any number of future annual maintenance fees can be paid in 2023.
2. Examination fee – If the Canadian (PCT) filing date is before October 30, 2019, the examination fee must be paid within five years of the filing date. If the Canadian (PCT) filing date is on or after October 30, 2019, the examination fee must be paid within four years of the filing date. In any case, the examination fee may be paid earlier. Read more