< Back to latest news & events

News

EPO Annual Fee Increases

February 2024

The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced that revised Official Fees will apply to payments made on or after Monday 1st April 2024.

The majority of fees will increase by around 4%. Notable exceptions are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th year renewal fees which will rise by 30%, 28%, and 8% retrospectively.

wdt_ID EPO Fee Fee (€) before 1 April 2024 Fee (€) from 1 April 2024 EURO increase % increase
1 Renewal fee for the 3rd year 530 690 160 30%
3 Renewal fee for the 4th year 660 845 185 28%
4 Renewal fee for the 5th year 925 1000 75 8%

In some cases, applicants may want to consider the timing for paying fees in relation to their applications to maximise any opportunities to pay lower official fees. If you would like advice on this, please contact your usual HGF attorney.

Click the button below to find out more.

Latest updates

The EPO Board of Appeal comments on the scope of the morality exclusion from patentability

The recent decision, T1553/22 of the Board of Appeal required the Board to consider the scope of the exclusions from patentability under Article 53(a) EPC. The invention in this case …

Read article

T 1847/22: Procedural considerations in appeal: Re-ordering of requests and the impact on admissibility

Background This case concerned EP 3 085 344 B1, which relates to a wound pad, a self-adhesive member comprising a wound pad. The patent was opposed by two opponents. During …

Read article

Regulation of NGT plants in Europe- Polish Presidency proposes an alternative solution to the Patent ban

In the latest development on the new proposed legislation for the regulation of NGT (gene-edited) plants in the EU, the Polish Presidency have proposed an amendment which removes the proposed …

Read article

T 0295/22: EPO Technical Board of Appeal relies on “bonus effect” case law to find Amgen’s patent to orally administered apremilast lacking in inventive step

This case concerned Amgen’s European patent no. 2962690 for apremilast, a drug sold under the brand name Otezla®, licensed for the treatment of e.g., psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.  The patent …

Read article
Event - 18th March 2025

Salzburg Seminar: Pitfalls in trade mark practice - What can be protected as a trade mark?

The registration of trade marks is a central component of trade mark protection – but which signs can actually be protected? In recent years, the national trade mark offices and …

Event details

Can the Chancellor’s so-called “Europe’s Silicon Valley” really replicate the innovative activity of its namesake?

The Chancellor of the UK, Rachel Reeves, recently unveiled plans to deliver an Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor that promises to boost the UK economy by up to £78 billion by 2035.  …

Read article

UPC’s CFI (Milan) extends deadline to file defence to infringement claim to align with parallel EPO appeal proceedings

Dainese S.p.A. v. Alpinestars S.p.A. & ors. UPC_CFI_472/2024 – Milan Local Division (Perrotti, Zana, Klein, Ashley) – 15 January 2025 The Milan Local Division granted a defendant’s request for an …

Read article