Boult Wade Tennant
Bulletins » Renewal fee increases in Australia

The Australian Patent Office will be changing various official fees for patents, trademarks and designs from 1 October 2020. Notably, patent renewal fees for the 12th – 19th anniversaries are increasing substantially. There are also significant increases for patent renewal fees for the 20th – 24th anniversaries, which apply to pharmaceutical patents having an extended term. These notable changes are set out in the tables provided below.

For Australian patents, it is possible to pay multiple renewal fees at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to pay renewal fees for the entire remaining term before the increase in fees comes into force on 1 October 2020. For example, if the next renewal fee due is for the 12th anniversary, AU$4325 could be saved by paying all renewal fees remaining in the patent term before 1 October 2020. If a portfolio contains multiple such patents then the costs savings may be significant.

If you would like to pay some or all of the renewal fees for your Australian patent before the fee change, then please contact our renewals team at renewals@boult.com by 17 SEPTEMBER 2020.

 

Renewal Fees for Patents

Current Fee (AUD) New Fee from 1 October 2020 (AUD)
4th Anniversary $300 No change
5th Anniversary $300 $315
6th Anniversary $300 $335
7th Anniversary $300 $360
8th Anniversary $300 $390
9th Anniversary $300 $425
10th Anniversary $550 $490
11th Anniversary $550 $585
12th Anniversary $550 $710
13th Anniversary $550 $865
14th Anniversary $550 $1050
15th Anniversary $1250 $1280
16th Anniversary $1250 $1555
17th Anniversary $1250 $1875
18th Anniversary $1250 $2240
19th Anniversary $1250 $2650

 

Renewal Fees for Pharmaceutical Patents having an Extended Term

Current Fee (AUD) New Fee from 1 October 2020 (AUD)
20th Anniversary $2550 $4000
21st Anniversary $2550 $5000
22nd Anniversary $2550 $6000
23rd Anniversary $2550 $7000
24th Anniversary $2550 $8000
Relevant sectors
Aerospace
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Automotive
Biotechnology
Chemicals
Communications and networks
Computing and software
Consumer goods and retail
Electronics and electrical devices
Energy and green technologies
Food and beverage
Industrial manufacturing and processing
Materials
Medical devices and diagnostics 
Pharmaceuticals
Trade marks