As you may know, the JPO’s Official Fees can be deducted if an applicant is qualified as a small entity, which includes a small venture company, a small enterprise, an individual, etc. The deduction can be applied to a foreign applicant, if it is possible to submit certain application forms. If you wish to have more details, please contact us at info@allegropat.com.
One third of the Official Fees can be deducted for small entities with respect to a Request for Examination, Annual Fee, etc. Under the current Japanese practice, it is said that the average fees required for a small entity to file and prosecute a Japanese patent application is about 4,000 US dollars.
The JPO recently agreed on the principle of marking down the fees required for a small entity to half-price, that is about 2,000 US dollars. Further, the scope of eligible small entities will be expanded. The Japanese patent law will be revised in this regard probably in 2019.
As a result, the fees required for a small entity will reach a minimum level among major developed countries.
