Patent Maintenance Fees: How to Calculate What You Owe

Quick Reference — This article is a short, high-density reference. For deeper coverage see the linked articles below.

US patents require three maintenance payments: $860 at 3.5 years, $1,616 at 7.5 years, and $3,312 at 11.5 years after grant (small entity, current USPTO fee schedule). Micro entities pay half of these amounts; standard entities pay $2,150, $4,040, and $8,280. A 6-month grace period with surcharge follows each deadline. European patents require annual renewal fees paid to each validated country — typically €100–€1,500 per country per year. China, Japan, and South Korea require annual fees from the year of grant, escalating over the patent term. At each payment, ask: is this patent generating or protecting revenue exceeding the maintenance cost? If not, consider abandoning. See Patent Maintenance Strategy for the full decision framework.

Sources

1. USPTO — Maintenance Fees — Official USPTO maintenance fee schedule and payment procedures
2. EPO — Renewal Fees — European patent renewal fee information and deadlines
3. 35 U.S.C. § 41 — Patent Fees — Statutory basis for US patent maintenance fees
4. WIPO — Patent Fee Information — Overview of renewal and maintenance fee obligations across jurisdictions