Why do I have to pay an annual fee for accepting utility model patents?

The annual patent fee is required only after the utility model patent is authorized. At the time of registration, the annual fee for the authorized year shall be paid at the same time, and the annual fee for the following years shall be paid in advance 1 month before the expiration of the previous year.

The reasons for paying the annual fee after patent authorization are as follows:

First, patents should be protected by law, which requires the State Patent Office to maintain the validity of its patent legal status, which needs to consume the relevant manpower and material resources of the State Patent Office, so the patentee needs to pay the corresponding fees.

Second, paying the annual fee is conducive to the effective use of resources. Through the annual patent fee, a patented technology that is idle in the hands of the patentee and cannot bring economic benefits to the patentee can enter the publicly known technology field as soon as possible, so that the public can freely use the technology and promote the scientific and technological progress of the whole society.