PCT Rule 16bis — Extension of Time Limits for Payment of Fees (MPEP Coverage Index) – BlueIron IP
PCT Rule 16bis Extension of Time Limits for Payment of Fees
Source: Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)BlueIron Update:
This page consolidates MPEP guidance interpreting PCT Rule 16bis, including 0 rules from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only, it is not legal advice.
Official MPEP § 16bis — Extension of Time Limits for Payment of Fees
Source: USPTOLast Modified: 10/30/2024 08:50:22
Rule 16 bis Extension of Time Limits for Payment of Fees
16 bis.1 Invitation by the Receiving Office
- (a) Where, by the time they are due under Rules 14.1(c) , 15.3 and 16.1(f) , the receiving Office finds that no fees were paid to it, or that the amount paid to it is insufficient to cover the transmittal fee, the international filing fee and the search fee, the receiving Office shall, subject to paragraph (d), invite the applicant to pay to it the amount required to cover those fees, together with, where applicable, the late payment fee under Rule 16bis.2 , within a time limit of one month from the date of the invitation.
- (b) [Deleted]
- (c) Where the receiving Office has sent to the applicant an
invitation under paragraph (a) and the applicant has not, within the time
limit referred to in that paragraph, paid in full the amount due, including,
where applicable, the late payment fee under
Rule
16bis.2
, the receiving Office
shall, subject to paragraph (e):
- (i) make the applicable declaration under Article 14(3) , and
- (ii) proceed as provided in Rule 29 .
- (d) Any payment received by the receiving Office before that Office sends the invitation under paragraph (a) shall be considered to have been received before the expiration of the time limit under Rule 14.1(c) , 15.3 or 16.1(f) , as the case may be.
- (e) Any payment received by the receiving Office before that Office makes the applicable declaration under Article 14(3) shall be considered to have been received before the expiration of the time limit referred to in paragraph (a).
16 bis.2 Late Payment Fee
- (a) The payment of fees in response to an invitation under
Rule
16bis.1(a)
may be subjected by
the receiving Office to the payment to it, for its own benefit, of a late
payment fee. The amount of that fee shall be:
- (i) 50% of the amount of unpaid fees which is specified in the invitation, or,
- (ii) if the amount calculated under item (i) is less than the transmittal fee, an amount equal to the transmittal fee.
- (b) The amount of the late payment fee shall not, however, exceed the amount of 50% of the international filing fee referred to in item 1 of the Schedule of Fees, not taking into account any fee for each sheet of the international application in excess of 30 sheets.