By Christopher P. Singer --
On April 1, 2008, the European Patent Office (EPO) began increasing fees associated with the searches it performs when acting as the International Searching Authority (ISA) for international applications filed through the PCT. The fee increased to $2496 which represents nearly a 10% increase from the prior fee of $2274. The USPTO announced the fee increase in a Notice dated March 31, 2008.
While the more highly publicized claims fee increase (also effective April 1, 2008) for EP applications will have a greater impact on prosecution costs in Europe specifically, the fee associated with the search will impact any international application filed on or after April 1, 2008 that designates the EPO as the international searching authority.
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