FEES
Guidance for the payment of fees
Guidance for the payment of fees, costs and prices*
1. Effective version of the Rules relating to Fees and the fees schedule
The Rules relating to Fees in the version effective as from 1 October 1992 are reproduced in the 6th edition (July 1991) of the European Patent Convention in conjunction with the Decision of the Administrative Council of 5 June 1992 amending the Rules relating to Fees (OJ EPO 1992, 344). Attention is drawn in particular to Articles 5 to 8 of the Rules relating to Fees
The full schedule of fees, costs and prices of the EPO now in force is as set out in Supplement No 3 to OJ EPO 12/1992.
2. Important implementing rules to the Rules relating to Fees
New amounts of the fees provided for in Article 2 of the Rules relating to Fees: OJ EPO 1992, 344
Arrangements for deposit accounts: OJ EPO 1982, 15 (see also OJ EPO 1984, 321); 1987, 376 and 377; supplement to OJ EPO 12/1990, 7.
3. Payment and refund of fees and costs
It is recommended that the EPO form for the settlement of fees or costs (Form 1010), obtainable free of charge from the EPO and the patent authorities of the Contracting States, be used for each payment: OJ EPO 1992, 671 et seq.
Refund of the European search fee: OJ EPO 1980, 112; 1983, 189, 219 and 238
Partial refund of the contractual fee paid for a standard search on a Turkish patent application: OJ EPO 1983, 62.
Refund of the examination fee: OJ EPO 1981, 349; 1988, 293 and 354.
Paying renewal fees for European patent applications and patents: OJ EPO 1984, 272.
Payment of fees: OJ EPO 1991, 573. Application of Legal Advice No. 5/80: OJ EPO 1992, 69.
The list of bank and Giro accounts opened in the name of the European Patent Organisation and corresponding currencies for payment is printed on the inside back cover of each issue of the Official Journal.
4. Other notices concerning fees and prices
Claims incurring fees where the application includes more than one set of claims: OJ EPO 1985, 347.
European patent applications on CD- ROM: OJ EPO 1990, 81.
Reissue of back copies of the Official Journal: OJ EPO 1991, 523
New edition of the Guidelines for Examination in the EPO: OJ EPO 1992, 69.
5. Information concerning Euro-PCT applications (EPO as designated or elected Office)
European search fee waived if the international search report has been drawn up by the EPO, the Austrian Patent Office or the Swedish Patent Office: OJ EPO 1979, 4, 50 and 248.
Reduction of the European search fee if the international search report has been drawn up by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Japanese Patent Office, the Russian Patent Office, or the Australian Patent Office : OJ EPO 1979, 368; 1981, 5.
Refund of the examination fee where a European patent application is consolidated with a Euro-PCT application: OJ EPO 1992, 662.
Information for PCT applicants concerning time limits and procedural steps before the EPO as a designated Office under the PCT (Articles 150, 153, Rule 104b EPC): Supplement No. 1 to OJ EPO 12/1992, 1.
Information for PCT applicants concerning time limits and procedural steps before the EPO as an elected Office under the PCT (Articles 150, 156, Rule 104b EPC): Supplement No. 1 to OJ EPO 12/1992, 16 (see also Information for PCT applicants: OJ EPO 1992, 245).
6. Guidance for international applications (EPO as receiving Office, International Searching Authority or International Preliminary Examining Authority)
Time and arrangements for payment of the fees for international applications: OJ EPO 1979, 290; 1986, 443.
Fee calculation sheets: OJ EPO 1992, 388
Refund of the international search fee: OJ EPO 1983, 189; 1987, 515 (521).
Refund of the preliminary examination fee: OJ EPO 1987, 515 (522); 1988, 364
Information for PCT applicants concerning the procedure before the EPO as an International Preliminary Examining Authority under Chapter II of the PCT: OJ EPO 1986, 441
Late payment fee under Rule 16bis.2 PCT: OJ EPO 1992, 383.
An extract from the Rules relating to Fees, the fees falling due when a European patent application or international application is filed and certain fees frequently arising are set out below.
For technical reasons, the tables embedded in this article are only available in the PDF version.
* Amendments and additions to the fees guidance published in OJ EPO 11/1992 are indicated by a vertical line alongside