Notice: The UK Intellectual Property Office Implements New Fee Standards
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) introduced new fee schedules on 1 April 2026, increasing official fees for patents, trade marks and designs. This move is intended to address inflation and cover the costs of providing services; trade mark fees, in particular, have been adjusted for the first time since 1998.
The recent fee adjustment is based on the following factors:
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Inflation: Since 2016, cumulative inflation in the UK has been approximately 32%, and the original fee standards no longer reflect actual costs.
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Increased operational costs: including labor, system maintenance, and investments in digital services.
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Fees remained unchanged for a long time: Trademark fees have not been modified since 1998, design fees since 2016, and patent fees since 2018.
UKIPO stated that the increased fees will enable it to continue investing in the system and providing high-quality services.
Key adjustments:
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Effective date: 1 April 2026.
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Scope of coverage: Includes applications, renewals, registrations, and dispute matters related to patents, trademarks, and designs.
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Increase in fees: The average official fees have been raised by approximately 25%, with certain services seeing significant increases.
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Scope of impact: Covers stages such as application, registration, renewal, and annual fees.
The key points of the adjustments for each category are as follows:
Trade Marks:
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The basic application fee and additional class fees are expected to increase.
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This increase is intended to reflect inflation over the years and to support the Office’s digital transformation.
Patents:
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Fees at all stages, including application, search, substantive examination and subsequent annual renewal fees, will be increased.
Designs:
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Fees for the registration and renewal of design patents are also subject to adjustment.
* Fees paid on or before 31 March 2026 will continue to be charged at the previous rate.
For further details, please refer to
the official announcement from the UK Intellectual Property Office.
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