Annuities
An “annuity” is an annual fee that the patent owner must pay, each year on the anniversary date, in order to maintain the patent in force.
Conditions
The annual fee (annuity) is due upon filing of your patent application. The first annual fee is included in the payment of the application fee. However, from the first year onwards, you must pay it on the anniversary date of the filing of the patent application, or at the latest, at the end of the month.
The annual fee must be paid even if the patent has not yet been granted, as non-payment will result in the forfeiture of the patent application.
Timeliness is extremely important to keep your patent and protection in force. It may seem complex but YesMyPatent will take care of all these steps for you! And since we assume that by default you want to keep your patent alive, and to avoid any oversight, our terms and conditions include an automatic renewal without any action on your part. You will receive the confirmation of the renewal as well as our invoice at the latest in the month following the anniversary date of your patent. You wish to give up your patent? No problem, just let us know 3 months before the anniversary date and we will remove it from our system. You will not be invoiced and the patent will naturally enter the public domain without further action.
How much does it cost ?
At YesMyPatent, the cost of an annual fee is 99€ excl.taxes + French PTO (INPI) current tax.
Our fees correspond to the management fees of a secure professional database that is regularly updated with the latest laws in force. Our administrative department is responsible for following your instructions, carrying out the administrative procedures and tax payments and reporting to you. We also pay a professional insurance for each file to cover your financial losses in the unlikely event of an oversight.
At YesMyPatent, we want patents to be accessible to all, and for less than 100€ per year, our clients have a free mind, they are insured in case of problems and we take care of everything: professionals manage the renewal of their patent for 20 years, unless otherwise agreed.
We also advocate for clear procedures and budgets. Thus, if the annual fees of a French patent in the first years are not very expensive, the amounts increase each year to dissuade holders from keeping patents on unexploited inventions. As the annual fees are to be paid for each country where the patent has been extended, beware of the costs after a few years.
The deadlines
Respecting payment deadlines is essential. If you want to keep your patent in force you must meet certain deadlines.
Annuities are due by the last day of the anniversary month of the application.
If the patent was filed on June 15, 2018, the 2nd annuity can be paid from 2019 through June 30 for the remaining 19 years.
However, payment is still possible within a further six months from the day after the due date.
You will be charged a late fee of 50% of the annuity due.
If you have not been able to pay your annuities after this additional six-month period, an appeal for restoration of your patent may sometimes be possible, under certain very strict conditions.
You have forgotten to pay an annuity and you have received a notice of forfeiture from the INPI or the EPO? Contact us so that we can assist you in a restoration appeal, to save your patent if the conditions are met.
Industrial Property can be expensive.
It is therefore essential to plan your budget from the beginning in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, and to be assisted by YesMyPatent for a cost-adapted strategy.
How to do it ?
Use our free 5-year cost simulator
We believe that IP should be accessible to all. Because our prices are calculated as accurately as possible, we are not afraid to communicate them clearly and transparently. Simulate your costs in France and abroad for 5 years.