By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020, that includes a fee for patent applications that are not filed in the DOCX format. The fee only applies to non-provisional utility applications and not to design, plant, or provisional applications.
The effective date of this new fee was most recently delayed in a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2022 and was scheduled to become effective on April 3, 2023. Through a new final rule, the USPTO is delaying the effective date of this fee until June 30, 2023.
The USPTO is committed to ensuring a successful and smooth transition to the DOCX format for its patent applicants, and it is grateful for the productive feedback it has received throughout this process.
