The costs to apply for / file a UK Patent

Compiling and filing the Patent yourself

If you choose to prepare and file a patent application yourself, the costs would be limited to the official Intellectual Property Office (IPO) fees :

Initial cost - the Application Fee : £60.00 (on submission) or £75.00 (if paid at a later date).
Preliminary Search Fee (12 months later) : £150.00 (+ £75.00 Application Fee if not already paid).
Examination Fee (12 months later) : £100.00.

Should the patent be granted and you wish to keep it active, annual renewal fees need to be paid. Starting from the £70.00 for the 5th year and rising each year to £610.00 for the 20th year.

Employing a Patent Attorney / Agent

The cost to employ a Patent Attorney / Agent to compile and file a UK patent application varies depending on the complexity of the invention - which are generally charged by the hour.

Simple inventions : usually start around £2,000.
Complex/technical inventions : £6000 - £10,000 and more.

The costs involved are spread over a period of time.

Initial cost : the drafting, compiling and filing of the Application.
12 months later : processing of the Preliminary Search.
12 months later : processing of the Substantive Examination.

In addition any additional work undertaken on your behalf would be subject to a cost, including discussing matters with you, liaising with the IPO and responding to objections etc - unless you've agreed a fixed fee arrangement, which is how we operate.

Do you need to employ a Patent Attorney / Agent

There is no law that dictates you have to employ a Patent Attorney / Agent to draft, file and secure new technological rights with the Intellectual Property Office. Anyone can do it !

However just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Patent law and drafting a strong application are highly specialised skills. Navigating the complexities of patent law without professional help commonly often leads to mistakes and ultimately failure of the application, particularly when the IPO raise objections and counter arguments are required in response.

While self-filing reduces the overall costs, it's often counter productive in the long term. Employing a Patent Attorney / Agent not only ensures the process is handled with legal precision, it ultimately increases the invention's commercial value due to the robustness of the exclusive legal safeguards in place.

What if you can’t afford one

If hiring a Patent Attorney isn't financially feasible, you need to consider whether patent protection is the best option.

The patent process is often just one part of a broader strategy e.g. monetising and commercialising the invention. Without a budget for product development, prototyping, testing, and marketing (mandatory requirements), the chances of success are extremely low.

Potential licensees, buyers and investors tend not to support projects without a granted patent or at least the strong likelihood of one being granted. A poorly drafted patent and lacks technical depth can easily be circumvented - which means it holds little value.

In contrast, a well-crafted, technically robust patent that effectively prevents others from working around the invention is a valuable asset due to the competitive advantage and exclusive rights it offers.