Maintenance of a patent

In most countries, a specific sum must be paid periodically, usually annually, to the patenting bodies to maintain the patent right. This payment is referred to as the annual fee or maintenance fee.

You are not obliged to maintain the patent for the entire period. If the annual fee is not paid, the patent expires automatically. Arnold + Siedsma will pay the annual fees at your request.

The time at which a payment is due differs from country to country. The amounts to be paid are changed on a regular basis.

Along with a thorough and reliable computer system with which the amounts and dates can be determined, the human factor which allows for an adequate response to exceptions is also important.

In each case, you can make a commercial assessment of whether the benefits of protection justify the recurring costs. The payments are arranged by the Arnold + Siedsma office in Zug. A safe and reliable system is used here to ensure that you are alerted in good time to pay the fees. In this way you can be sure that you won’t forget a fee payment deadline.