Friday, April 10, 2015 Only pay the invoices sent by your patent attorney

The problem of misleading invoices continues world-wide. The latest example detected by the WIPO is very convincing. They even use a very similar logo and give WIPO contact details at bottom: WORLD INTELLIGENT PROPERTY OFFICE

The only clue you have (apart from the name) is that the beneficiary is a bank in Bosnia & Herzogovenia (IBAN code begins with BA and 5-6th letters in SWIFT code are also BA).


Note:

• Patent offices do not charge separately for publication of the application - you pay for this when you file the application.
• These misleading invoices can appear 18 months after the earliest priority claim when application is published officially by the patent office with the names and addresses of all applicants and inventors
• If in doubt, contact either the patent office, or a patent attorney, or check the links below
• If you have appointed a patent attorney, all official communications from the patent office are sent to him/her

In many cases, payment of such an invoice is requested for a subscription to include your application in an on-line database. For example WORLD PATENT & TRADEMARK ASSOCIATION.
But all patent offices make the applications available to the public automatically if you pay the required fees on filing.

Other examples are here:

• WIPO/PCT database of misleading invoices
• EPO collection of misleading invoices
• DE Patent Office warnings company names (in German)
• CIPA (UK) list of scams and misleading invoices
• WIPO links to announcements by IP offices world wide
• List compiled by Fraudehelpdesk.nl (page in Dutch, but many examples are in English)

A good rule to remember is - only pay the invoices sent by your patent attorney
Photo:  © www.canstockphoto.com

Wednesday, April 01, 2015 From 1 April 2015 - PCT fees for EPO services have changed

A number of PCT fees are fixed in Swiss Francs.

To follow currency fluctuations, the WIPO recalculates every few months the equivalent amounts in other currencies, such as the Euro.




From 1 April 2015, the following amounts are to be paid to the EPO:

International filing fee: from EUR 1 097 to EUR 1 273

Fee per sheet in excess of 30: from EUR 12 to EUR 14

Reductions:

• electronic filing (request not in character-coded format): from EUR 82 to EUR 96
• electronic filing (request in character-coded format): from EUR 165 to EUR 191
• electronic filing (in character-coded format): from EUR 247 to EUR 287

Handling fee for the demand: from EUR 165 to EUR 191

The amount of the international filing fee payable is the amount applicable on the date of receipt of the international application by the EPO

The amount of the handling fee payable is the amount applicable on the date of payment
Photo:  © www.canstockphoto.com