I personally estimate that the invention you applied for in 2008 may have entered the substantive examination stage this year. In the substantive examination stage, the patent office examiner will communicate with the agent by telephone or letter on specific patent issues. The agency will have some work to do, so it will ask you for a fee. According to the above, the content of the agency fee depends on whether the contract with the agency company was paid in one lump sum or divided into two steps: writing and answering OA. But one thing is certain, it is absolutely unreasonable for the other party to charge you money in the name of defense fees.
3. Conventionally, the application agency fee includes the agency fee of all agents in the process of drafting application documents and obtaining patent certificates. The defense and communication in the substantive examination stage should also be included in the agency fee. The general patentee only needs to pay the annual fee after paying the agency fee.