When the USPTO revises its fees from time to time, a common practice of mine is to “compare” the then-current fee schedule against the announced future fee schedule. The current USPTO fee schedule, with revisions effective May 15, 2008, will soon be replaced with a version with revisions effective tomorrow, July 1, 2008. For those of you planning on filing PCT applications within the next few days, you may wish to take particular note of the following changes effective July 1 and consider filing before the following fees changes take effect:

1. International filing fee (first 30 pages - filed in paper with PCT EASY zip file or electronically without PCT EASY zip file) – increasing $64 from $1,173 to $1,237

2. International filing fee (first 30 pages) - filed electronically with PCT Easy zip file – increasing $54 from $1,083 to $1,137

3. International filing fee (first 30 pages) – increasing $75 from $1,263 to $1,338

4. Supplemental fee (for each page over 30) – increasing $1 per page from $14 to $15

5. Handling fee – increasing $30 from $171 to $201

6. Handling fee – percentage reduction, if applicants meet specified criteria – DECREASING $18.65 from $38.75 (75% reduction from original fee) to $20.10 (90% reduction from original fee)

7. Sequence listing and/or sequence-related table on electronic medium only (PCT AI Section 801) – increasing $400 from $5,600 to $6,000

The fees for international searches using the European Patent Office or the Korean Intellectual Property Office will not changed, remaining at $2,496 and $244, respectively. Links to each respective USPTO fee schedule are provided below.

Fee Schedule (Effective May 15, 2008): LINK
Fee Schedule (Effective July 1, 2008): LINK