The USPTO has published a new set of fee increase for patent prosecution based on inflation as calculated by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Although the exact rise in fees is not set, the PTO expects that the increase will be approximately 2.9% and become effective on October 1, 2012. The PTO interprets its CPI fee adjustment power as separate from its newfound fee setting authority provided in the America Invents Act of 2011. Thus, this increase will likely stack onto the proposed fee structure alterations that are expected to be finalized later this summer.
Written comments are due by June 13, 2012 and can be submitted through the US Government’s eRulemaking portal or by emailing Gilda.Lee@uspto.gov
(RIN) RIN 0651–AC55.
If a modest fee increase will help the USPTO launch its satellite offices and cut into its patent application backlog, then I don’t see how anyone can complain too much about it.
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