The UK Intellectual Property Office has announced its intention- subject to parliamentary approval – to increase official fees for patents, trade marks and designs, from 1 April 2026.
While many of these official fees have not been increased in at least eight years, the UKIPO has cited the 32% rise in inflation since 2016 and future cost pressures as the reason behind these changes.
Changes to fees
The fees affected will increase by an average of 25%. The highest increases concern patent services, with a percentage increase of 20-27% across application, renewal and related services fees. Costs are also increasing by 17-19% for designs, and 17-20% for trade marks. You can read the full list of fee changes on the Government’s website.
How will the changes affect my fees?
The UKIPO has published further guidance for applicants or users whose fees may be due near to the date of the proposed changes. In some cases, the increases can be avoided by paying fees (at the current rate) before 1 April 2026, including patent renewals due in April or May 2026, and trade mark and design renewals up to the end of September 2026. Read the full guidance on the UKIPO website.
Next steps
It is advisable to check the renewal dates for any existing IP assets you hold, and consider whether the increase in fees could be mitigated with an early payment. In addition, it would be sensible to file any upcoming applications at the UKIPO before 1 April 2026, to avoid the changes.
If you would like advice on how the fee increases may affect your portfolio, or the costs of any new applications, please contact your usual Forresters attorney.
