Australia increases its IP fees

The intellectual property office of Australia has introduced a new IP fee schedule, which enters into effect as of October 1, 2020.

The changes in fees in Australia come in accordance with measures put in place following a draft Cost Recovery Implementation Statement, with the view of mitigating any cost losses in the current economic climate.

The amendments span the majority of IP matters, with the most significant price raise affecting patent fees, with filing a standard application now constituting the fee of 570 AUD as opposed to 470 AUD rising by 21%, and the same applies to national phase entry applications. Filing an application for an innovation patent will now cost 380 AUD, growing from 280 AUD by approximately 36%. Additionally, a new fee has been introduced for excess claims, with the cost of claims over 20 being 125 AUD, and over 30 claims comprising 250 AUD.

Patent renewal fees have been increased through each year, with the 19th year skyrocketing by almost 108% from 1300 AUD to 2700 AUD, whilst the 5th year has risen by a considerably small amount of 15 AUD, from 350 AUD to 365 AUD.

As for trademarks, the fee for filing a standard trademark application in one class, for example, has been inflated by approximately 30%, from 350 AUD to 450 AUD, with the same increase values also applying to additional trademark classes.

Design fees have increased by a similar extent as patents and trademarks, with the fee for filing an application of 450 AUD soaring by 28% from 350 AUD, while the same increase has been applied to filing further designs after the first one. A new fee of 400 AUD has been introduced for additional designs submitted within the same application. Renewal fees have grown by about 22% from 370 AUD to 450 AUD.

The increase in fees is hoped to increase monetary flow into administering the country's IP sector. This, in turn, will ensure that the IP office maintains operation at efficient and reliable levels.