Patent costs

It can be rather expensive to obtain a patent. An in-depth examination of patent advantages and disadvantages is required in each case before deciding whether to patent your invention. See 'To patent or not to patent?'

If you would like to obtain a patent, you must take into account the following costs:

• Expert fees, if you choose to use one (recommended);
• Patent translation costs, which can vary considerably (according to the country for which you are seeking patent protection);
• Once the patent is issued, we recommend that you monitor any threats posed by third parties, which require human and financial resources in order to respond to them, in particular lawyer and court fees;
• Finally, taxes must be paid at the time of filing for the examination procedure and for continuance of the patent. According to the territory and the duration of protection, the total cost of a patent could vary from several thousand euros to several tens of thousands of euros. Requesting a patent in a complex technical field and/or requesting protection in different large markets outside of the European Union, such as the United States, Japan or India, may require a cost of up to 100,000 euros.

The amount of the official fees due can be found on the following web pages:

• Rates and payment methods: Belgian patent
• Rates and payment methods: European patent
• Rates: International Patent Application (PCT)