Patent application costs
The cost of a patent application depends on the geographic scope of the patent protection sought. The fees are incurred regardless of whether the patent is granted. (Except for the grant fees for EP).
| DE | EP | PCT (international) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 60 € (paper) 40 € (electronic) |
260 € (paper) 125 € (electronic) |
1.233 € |
| Designation fee | - | 610 € | |
| Research fee | 300 € | 1.350 € | 1.775 € |
| Examination fee | 150 € | 1.700 € | |
| Award fee | 960 € | ||
| Additional costs per country | National validation after the grant | National fees |
as of Juli 2021
- National applications: If protection is planned worldwide in a not-too-large number of countries, i.e. only the most important markets, this is already certain now.
- European filing: If protection is to be obtained in more than 4-5 countries participating in the European Patent Convention.
- PCT filing: Simplifies filing when a larger number of protected national markets are sought and/or 18 months of deferment is needed to decide in which countries protection should be obtained
Other Costs
From the 3rd year, annual maintenance fees are payable, starting in Germany at €70 annually rising to €1,940 in the 20th year. EP starts at 290 € annually increasing to 1,640 € from the 10th year. There is no international patent grant. After 30 months, the application has to be nationalized and corresponding fees must be paid to the national patent offices. In addition to the official fees, there are also fees for the patent attorney. This is partly a matter of negotiation and ranges between 3,000 and 6,000 euros. In addition, there are costs during the search and examination phase depending on the number of examination notices (between €1000 and €5000). Depending on the geographical scope of protection, you should calculate costs between €10,000 and €30,000.