WIPO Again Reduces Fees

Geneva, September 16, 1998
Press Releases PR/1998/141

WIPO AGAIN REDUCES FEES

The Member States of WIPO have decided to reduce the international fee charged for an international patent application under the PCT as from January 1, 1999.

Under the PCT, an international patent application may be filed for up to 98 countries (97 countries up to December 7, 1998). However, the designation fee (150 francs) is charged only for the first 11 countries. As from January 1, 1999, this fee will be charged only for the first 10 countries (that is to say maximum of 1500 francs instead of 1650 francs). It is thought that this measure will be beneficial to the small and medium-sized firms in particular.

Additionally, any person who files a PCT application as from January 1, 1999, using the electronic filing system (PCT Easy) will enjoy a 200 franc reduction on the international fee.

Other fees are also to be reduced as from January 1, 1999. As a result of transferring publication from paper to an electronic medium, the publication fees for industrial designs will be reduced from 41 to 33 francs for black and white and from 330 to 264 francs for color, representing a decrease of 20 per cent.

For more detailed information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Information Section of WIPO:

Tel.: (+41 22) 338 98 24
Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10
E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int