EPO Updates Cost Estimates for Sample European Patents

(excluding in-house preparation costs for the patentee)

According to a 2005 study by the European Patent Office, the total cost of a European (above) patent is estimated at approximately EUR 32 000. This amount comprises the fees for the EPO grant procedure, the costs of representation by a patent attorney before the EPO, the translation and validation costs and the renewal fees for maintenance of the patent in the six most-frequently designated countries -- Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. However, the study notes that it should be borne in mind that "the actual patenting costs in an individual case may differ by more than 100 %, depending on the technological field."

For European patents filed by way of an application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), known as "Euro-PCT patents" (below), applicants generally file in the six most frequently designated countries Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, plus Netherlands and Austria. The total cost of this Euro-PCT sample patent is estimated at approximately EUR 47 000. This amount comprises the international PCT fees, the fees for the EPO grant procedure, the costs of representation by a patent attorney, the translation and validation costs incurred following the grant procedure and the renewal fees for maintenance of the patent in the designated countries.