FEES
Guidance for the payment of fees, costs and prices1
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 July 1997 are reproduced in the 9th edition (June 1997) of the European Patent Convention. Attention is drawn in particular to Articles 5 to 8 of the Rules relating to Fees.
The schedule of fees, costs and prices of the EPO in the version effective as from 3 June 1998 is as set out in the Supplement to OJ EPO 5/1998.
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 1997, 12.
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; OJ EPO 1993, 366; Supplement to OJ EPO 6/1994, 1.
Arrangements for the automatic debiting procedure: Supplement to OJ EPO 6/1994.
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 ff.
Transmission by diskette of particulars about the purpose of payments: OJ EPO 1996, 553.
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 and refund of fees: OJ EPO 1991, 573.
Calculation of aggregate time limits: OJ EPO 1993, 229.
Payment of the extension fee: OJ EPO 1994, 76 and 527; 1995, 345; 1996, 82, 601; 1997, 538.
Notice concerning the modification of the system for the refund of fees: OJ EPO 1997, 115.
Implementation of the fee reform 1997: OJ EPO 1997, 215.
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.
Reissue of back copies of the Official Journal: OJ EPO 1995, 731.
New edition of the Guidelines for Examination in the EPO: OJ EPO 1994, 967; 1995, 424 and 434.
9th edition of the "European Patent Convention": OJ EPO 1997, 271.
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, the Swedish Patent Office or the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office: OJ EPO 1979, 4, 50 and 248; 1995, 511.
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, the Australian Patent Office or the Chinese Patent Office: OJ EPO 1979, 368; 1981, 5; 1994, 6 and 691.
Refund of the examination fee where a European patent application is consolidated with a Euro-PCT application: OJ EPO 1992, 662.
Reduction of the examination fee if the international preliminary examination report has been drawn up by the EPO: Article 12(2) Rules relating to Fees.
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; 1994, 131.
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; 1994, 133 (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)
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.
Late payment fee under Rule 16bis.2 PCT: OJ EPO 1992, 383.
Revised information for PCT applicants concerning the procedure before the EPO as an International Preliminary Examining Authority under PCT Chapter II: OJ EPO 1997, 593.
Reduction of the fees for the international search and preliminary examination carried out on an international application in favour of the nationals of the "countries in transition" and of "certain states": OJ EPO 1995, 14 and 271; 1996, 114 and 396.
Late payment fee under Rule 58bis.2 PCT: OJ EPO 1998, 282.
For technical reasons, the tables embedded in this article are only available in the PDF version.
1 Amendments and additions to the fees guidance published in OJ EPO 4/1998 are indicated by a vertical line alongside.