Are there reduced maintenance fees for small and micro entities?

Yes, there are significant reductions in maintenance fees for small and micro entities. According to MPEP 2520:

“The maintenance fee amounts (37 CFR 1.20(e)-(h)) are subject to a 50% reduction for small entities pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 41(h) and a 75% reduction for micro entities.”

This means that small entities pay only half of the standard maintenance fee, while micro entities pay only a quarter of the standard fee. These reductions are designed to make patent maintenance more affordable for smaller businesses and individual inventors.

To learn more:

• small entity
• micro entity
• fee reduction
• patent maintenance