go filing, as soon as possible

TIPO has updated the fee schedule on Dec. 8 2009, especially the fee on the limited claims.

「專利規費收費準則」

http://www.tipo.gov.tw/ch/News_NewsContent.aspx?NewsID=4192

The new fee schedule will be taken in effect on Jan. 1 2010.

Currently and in the past, the number of claims in a single Taiwan patent application are not limited in a fixed official fee. Applicants would submit unduly over-claiming claims into TIPO. Those claims usually bring torments from overloading examinations to the examiners. This situation may level down the examination quality, and bring public's denouncing.

Probably it is a good news, a basic examination fee (NT$7000) is charged by TIPO on 10 claims, and every exceeding claim charges NT$800 when the filing date of a new patent application is after Jan. 1 2010.

However, in my opinion, 10 claims would be much less but fairly only NT$800 may charge the each exceeding claim, and no limits on the number of independent claims. Actually it is similar with current China's way.

Other good news is the cost reduction of patent application to annual fee for the 7th to 9th patent years by NT$1000, and NT$2000 cost down for the patent year after/on 10 years. The utility model and design patents also have cost reduction.

the original message:

(一)發明專利申請案應依申請專利範圍之請求項數逐項收費部分：
修正實體審查申請費之規費收取方式，將申請專利範圍之基本請求項數設定為10項，請求項數於10項以內者均收取基本費新臺幣（以下同）7,000元，超出前述10項之基本項數者，每項收取800元。
(二)專利年費部分：
1、發明部分，第7年至第9年每年減收1,000元；第10年以上每年減收2,000元。
2、新型部分，第4年至第9年每年減收1,000元，第10年以上參照第7年之金額，減收新臺幣10,000元。
3、新式樣部分，第4年至第6年每年減收1,500元，第7年以上每年減收4,000元，第10年以上參照第7年之金額，減收新臺幣13,000元。

Ron

參考資料：TIPO