If it is really difficult for the applicant or the patentee to pay the patent fee, he may request a postponement. There are five kinds of fees that can be reduced or exempted: application fee (printing fee and surcharge are not reduced), examination fee for invention patent application, reexamination fee, maintenance fee for invention patent application, and annual fee for three years from the year when the patent right is granted. Other expenses will not be delayed.
Where a patent fee is requested to be reduced or exempted, it shall submit a request for fee reduction and exemption, truthfully fill in the economic income status, and attach relevant supporting documents when necessary.
Payment of annual fee
The applicant shall pay the patent registration fee, announcement printing fee, stamp duty and the annual fee of the year when the patent right is granted at the time of registration. Where an application for a patent for invention needs to pay the application maintenance fee, the applicant shall pay it together every year.
Application maintenance fee. Failure to pay or pay the full fee at the expiration of the period shall be deemed as failure to go through the registration formalities. The annual fee of the year when the patent right is granted shall be paid within the time limit specified in the notice of granting patent right issued by the Patent Office.
Future annual fees shall be paid in advance within one month before the expiration of the previous year.
If it is necessary to pay the application maintenance fee, and the application for a patent for invention has not been authorized for two years from the date of filing, the applicant shall pay the application maintenance fee from the third year.