The cost of searching for and registering intellectual property will rise for the first time in more than twenty years, pending parliamentary approval.
The Government has announced that, pending approval from MPs, it will increase several important Intellectual Property fees from April 2026.
Exact costs have not yet been confirmed. However, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) said the fees will increase by an average of 25%. For example, a patent search will now cost £200, up from £150, while a trademark application will increase from £170 to £205.
According to the IPO, the change has been proposed to help the organisation better invest in its systems. It also reflects rising prices across the UK. In a statement, the IPO added that “the proposed 25% increase allows us to address the 32% rise in inflation since 2016.”
What do businesses need to do?
At the moment, the fee increase isn’t set in stone and fees won’t come in until next year. However, the IPO has said that it will publish full guidance early next year to help customers whose fees may be due around the time of the planned changes.
However, when the changes come in, they will impact both patents and trademarks. Trademarks tend to be logos or symbols representing a company while patents are used to protect a business’ creations and offer the exclusive right to make, use, or sell that invention for a set period, which is usually around 20 years.
In this period of consultation, businesses who regularly file trademarks or patents need to budget for a potential price increase. This is far more preferable than not protecting their IP.
Why IP protection is important
For many businesses, especially those designing their own products, IP has taken on more importance in recent years with the proliferation of copycat designs.
We reported last month about businesses who are trying to fight platforms including Temu and Shein, when they have found similar, if not identical, designs to their own online.
While they have been trying to get designs taken down, many business owners face the frustration that others are appearing just as quickly.
Enforcing IP across borders is incredibly difficult and isn’t helping business owners in this situation without huge costs. But owning your IP lends businesses protection in the UK.
It is also a way of winning customer confidence in their products as businesses can prove that their designs are original and therefore made to standards. This is their best line of defence against mimicry but also a way of building their client base.
