The Patent Process

Maintenance

Issued patents cannot just sit there. The USPTO requires maintenance fees to be paid at 4, 7 and 11 years after issuance to keep the patent alive and in effect. Cost (for utility maintenance, which is the only patent type that requires maintenance fees): You can find these fees, which change quite regularly, at 37 C.F.R. 1.20(e)-(g). Currently (as of August, 2008) maintenance fees start at $465 for a small entity maintaining at 4 years and go up to $3,910 for a large entity maintaining at 11 years (a 7-year maintenance payment is also required).