On 13 September 2014, changes to New Zealand Patent law come into effect which mean that renewal fees will be payable every year from the 4th anniversary. This is a significant change from the current law which only requires renewal in the 4th, 7th, 10th and 13th years. Because the current law permits patentees to pay all renewal fees in advance, significant costs may be saved by bringing forward payment of one or more of the renewals in advance of the 12 September 2014 deadline.
For example, for a patent in its 3rd year, a saving of NZD 1300 in Government fees can be made over the lifetime of the patent by pre-paying the renewal fees under the current law. For a patent in its 11th year, a saving of NZD 1150 in Government fees alone can be made by pre-paying renewal fees.
A fee savings calculator is available here to assist in calculating the possible savings.
Even if we are not responsible for renewals of your New Zealand Patents, we can assist you in renewing your patents – please contact us directly for a quote at attorney@pof.com.au
