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: $1,000 at 3.5 years (small entity), $1,880 at 7.5 years, and $3,850 at 11.5 years after grant. Micro entities pay 50% of these amounts. 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