How should foreign entities pay patent maintenance fees to the USPTO?

Foreign entities must adhere to specific requirements when paying patent maintenance fees to the USPTO. MPEP 2522 provides the following guidance:

“Any remittance from a foreign country must be payable and immediately negotiable in the United States for the full amount of the maintenance fee and/or surcharge required.“

This means that foreign entities should ensure their payment method meets the following criteria:

• The payment must be in U.S. dollars
• It must be immediately negotiable in the United States
• The full amount of the maintenance fee and any applicable surcharge must be covered

Acceptable forms of payment include international money orders or checks drawn on a U.S. bank, as long as they meet the criteria specified in 37 CFR 1.23. Foreign entities should be careful to avoid any payment methods that might delay the processing of their maintenance fees.

To learn more:

• foreign payment
• maintenance fees
• USPTO
• patent maintenance