Revision of Patent Fee Reduction System in Japan
The Japan Patent Office (JPO) has revised the patent fee reduction system for invention patent
applications undergoing substantive examination since April 1, 2019.
Applicants meeting the eligibility criteria can request a reduction in annual fees for the 1st to 10th years.
Here are some common categories and the corresponding reduction percentages for invention patent annual fees:
|
|
Category |
Qualification Description - Must meet conditions A and B simultaneously |
Reduction Rate |
|
1 |
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) |
A. Meets the requirements for the number of full-time employees or capital. 《Enforcement Regulations of the Patent Act》 Article 10, Section 1 |
1/2 |
|
2 |
Small and Medium-sized Startups |
A. Established for less than 10 years, with a capital or total investment not exceeding 3 billion Japanese yen. B. Not controlled by a large company. 《Enforcement Regulations of the Patent Act》 Article 10, Section 5, Item (a) |
2/3 |
|
3 |
Small Enterprises |
A. Full-time employees do not exceed 20 people. B. Not controlled by a large company. 《Enforcement Regulations of the Patent Act》 Article 10, Section 4, Item (a) |
2/3 |
|
4 |
Research and Development-oriented SMEs |
A. Meets the requirements for the number of full-time employees or capital. B. Must meet research and development requirements. 《Enforcement Regulations of the Patent Act》Article 10, Paragraph 2, Subparagraphs (a) to (f) |
1/2 |
|
5 |
Individuals |
A. Income tax-exempt. B. Self-employed individuals exempt from business tax. 《Enforcement Regulations of the Patent Act》 Article 9, Sections 1-2 |
1/2 |
|
6 |
Academic Privilege |
A. Officials of universities or technical colleges defined in Article 1 of the "School Education Act." B. Individuals establishing universities or technical colleges. 《Enforcement Regulations of the Patent Act》 Article 10, Section 3, Item (a) |
1/2 |
|
7 |
Public Organization Privilege |
A. A. Individuals establishing public testing and research institutions. 《Enforcement Regulations of the Patent Act》 Article 10, Section 3F |
1/2 |
※ The information in the table above regarding categories and qualifications is excerpted from the official website of the Japan Patent Office (JPO). However, the determination of eligibility for fee reduction remains subject to the judgment of the JPO. Please note the following points:
※ IPFEE does not verify the fee reduction eligibility of its members. The handling of annual fee payment matters will be carried out based on the member's instructions at the time of commission.
※ IPFEE assumes no legal liability for cases where inability to pay or other situations leading to the loss of rights occur due to customer instructions or information errors.
※ If the provided patent applicant or patentee information does not meet the relevant fee reduction qualifications at the time of instruction, IPFEE may request you to supplement the required fees before proceeding with payment to the official institution.。
※ If errors in instructions or provided information result in the patentee paying standard fees, even if the applicant or patentee qualifies for a reduction, the JPO will not refund the fees. IPFEE Patent Network does not assume responsibility for refunding the reduction difference.
※ In the event of any changes to the member's eligibility for fee reduction, please promptly inform IPFEE.
※ For more detailed provisions on the eligibility criteria for various types, pleasecontact usor refer to the
official JPO website. https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/process/tesuryo/genmen/genmen20190401/index.html#2
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