- KIPO amends patent fee rule. -


As of May 1, KIPO (Commissioner: JUN, Sang Woo) will be changing the accumulative fee system for annual patent registration. The fee will be reduced to ease customers’ cost burden and increase their convenience. Additional fees for claim articles during application for preferential examination will be repealed. Patent fee rule will be amended to simplify the issuance of a handy patent (registration) certificate, and to document the procedure for fee reductions and the procedure for payment of the annual registration fee. These changes are being made as KIPO becomes the first among central administrative bodies to function as an entrepreneurial liability operation agency.

Until now, the annual registration fee followed an accumulative system, severely burdening long-term patent holders with patents, utility model rights and design rights. With this amendment, the following changes will be made:


o For patent fees, the current annual registration fee, which doubled every 3 years, will mitigate partiallybe reduced. After the amendment is in effect, the base fee for patents more than 13 years old will be charged a fixed fee of KRW 360 thousand (USD 375), while an additional fee for claim articles more than 10 years old will be charged KRW 55 thousand (USD 57). An additional fee for patents between 7~9 years old will be reduced from KRW 43 thousand (USD 45) to KRW 40 thousand (USD 41). Registration fee for utility model rights/design rights more than 13 years old will also be partially reduced.

o Currently during the application for preferential examination, an additional fee is charged for claim articles, the same as during the application for examination. With the amendment, this additional fee will be repealed. A fixed fee of KRW 167 thousand (USD 176) will be charged.


※ Preferential examination system:

A system allowing examination ahead of patent application if the following conditions exist:
a) a person other than the patent applicant is acknowledge to be practicing the filed patent prior to the patent disclosure, or

b) a patent application is acknowledge to require urgent attention, following a Presidential Decree.

As an exception the normal order of examination following application, this is a system to protect public good as well as inventors by giving expedited rights through preferential examination sequence.


o The subjects receiving discounts for applicant change fee following division/merger or transferred registration fee for patents will be expanded from companies set forth in the “commercial law” to all legal entities.

o Application fee/application for examination fee will be reduce by 50% when large enterprises and medium/small companies mutually research and file patents (utility model rights).


Finally, for the convenience of patent holders and applicants, this amendment will do the following:

o issue a handy patent (registration) certificate in the shape of a pocketbook, and omit the submission of documents proving discounts for fees , and

o allow payments for annual patent (registration) fee through an annual patent (registration) bill, without submitting an additional statement of payment. (This amendment will be in effect after July 1, 2006.)