How can I establish or change my entity status for maintenance fee purposes?

Establishing or changing your entity status (standard, small, or micro) for maintenance fee purposes is crucial for ensuring correct payment amounts. MPEP 2531 refers to this process:

“See MPEP § 2550 for information on establishing or changing an entity status for the purpose of paying a maintenance fee.”

To establish or change your entity status:

1. Verify your eligibility for small or micro entity status based on USPTO criteria.
2. Submit a written assertion of small or micro entity status to the USPTO.
3. For small entity status, use form PTO/SB/15.
4. For micro entity status, use either form PTO/SB/15A (gross income basis) or PTO/SB/15B (institution of higher education basis).
5. Submit the form before or with the maintenance fee payment.

Remember, falsely establishing status or paying fees in the wrong category may have serious consequences. Always consult MPEP 2550 or a patent attorney for the most current and detailed information on this process.

To learn more:

• maintenance fees
• entity status
• small entity
• micro entity
• fee reduction