USPTO fee changes effective October 2, 2020

The USPTO published a Final Rule on August 3, 2020 in a Federal Register Notice, announcing fee changes that take effect October 2, 2020. The Final Rule includes an approximate 5-10% increase to most fees impacted by the rule, with some larger increases, notably in issue and maintenance fees, maintenance late fees, and PTAB fees. Four fees were discontinued. For a full listing of fee changes, see the Table of Patent Fee Adjustments. 

There are new fees related to a surcharge for non-DOCX filings, effective January 1, 2022. Additionally, there is a new biennial registration requirement, effective Spring 2022. The new fees, additional requirements, and other topics such as the voluntary CLE will be addressed by AIPLA in a later communication.