Increases to official fees will come into effect for Australian IP rights, including patents, trade marks and designs on 1 October 2020.
The official announcement and full list of fee changes can be found on IP Australia’s website: https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/about-us/public-consultations/fee-review-2019-2020/Fee-Changes-2020
Contact us to discuss whether early action can be taken prior to these changes coming into effect.
Patents
There will be no change to application filing fees or request for examination fees (provided payment is made through the preferred online channels).
Excess claims fees
The current excess claims fee of AU$110 per claim over 20 will be replaced by a two-tiered fee structure, comprising a fee of AU$125 for each of claims 21-30 and AU$250 for each claim over 30. Excess claims fees will continue to be calculated at acceptance.
Renewal fees
Progressive fee increases will be introduced to patent renewal fees. Generally, the renewal fee will increase by about 5% to 110% for the 5th to 19th anniversary, with the smaller increases applying to the earlier years of patent term. Renewal fees for the 20th to 24th anniversary (for pharmaceutical patents with extended terms) will also increase.
Trade marks
There will be a modest increase in trade mark filing fees for non-picklist applications and imported Madrid applications designating Australia.
Designs
For design applications containing multiple designs, a fee of AU$200 per additional design will be introduced. Renewal fees for designs will also increase from $320 to $400 per year.
