Industrial and research news

Patent application fees abolishedSmall firms and private individuals will benefit most since the United Kingdom Patent Office has abolished the application fee for patents from October 1st 1998.The office will be the first in the industrialised world not to charge a patent application fee.Other reductions include a cut in the trade mark application fee from f225 to f200, a cut in the trade mark registration renewal from f250 to &200 and cuts in the patent renewal fees by an average of 18%.The cuts will assist entry into the systems of patents, trade marks and registered designs and encourage their use by small firms and private individuals.Savings to industry will equal f 12 million or 20% of the Patent Office's fee income.These reductions have been made possible by increased efficiency since the Patent Office relocated to Newport, South Wales in 1991.