Caution
USE OF COST TABLES ON SGA²’S WEBSITE
Cost tables used on our website must be read by keeping in mind the following precautions:1. Amounts listed are those of the official fees due to the Intellectual Property Office of the desired country.
2. Only the amount expressed in the local currency of the country in question can be considered accurate. Its conversion into another currency provides only a rough indication.
3. Amounts expressed in original currency are updated as the countries’ rates change. If a comparison is made, in which a subsequent rate should be applied, it is rendered meaningless.
4. Patent annuities must be calculated according to the annuity year and different rules of each country. If you do not know how to calculate the annuities, you risk incorrectly interpreting the results.
5. In particular cases, the official fee can be reduced in certain countries. Tables used on our website contain only the full price value.
6. In Japan, official fees for patents are contingent on the number of claims and the date on which the examination was requested. Amounts listed are related to patents subject to one claim only and for which the examination request was filed on or after April 1st 2004.
7. In regard to patents for which it must be determined whether they have been issued, amounts shown apply to issued patents.
8. We are only liable for the intellectual property titles that have been entrusted to us under the terms of our contract. Under no circumstances can we accept any responsibility for any potential use of these tables outside the perimeters of our service.
HOW TO USE THEM?
These tables only allow you to estimate the difference between what you are paying and the official fee. According to the four-layer diagram shown on the how much ? page, the difference represents the sum of the top three layers (i.e. local agent service charges, currency conversion charges and management charges).For comparison purposes:
1. We recommend you use a recent invoice.
2. Look up the amount of the same official fee in the tables and convert it into the same currency as the one used in the invoice.
You cannot expect the difference to be reduced to nothing, even with our services (we do not yet offer this service free of charge!). Even if you were to make the payments yourself, you would have to consider the costs associated with internal resources and time spent. Remember that the currency conversion is approximate. In fact, you should determine the date on which this conversion must take place and in which banking institution. However, if the difference between what you have paid and the amount found represents a significant percentage of the total amount, it can most likely be significantly reduced. If you need assistance or wish to verify your estimates, you need only ask us.