As from 1 April 2012, there will be a change in the amount of the following fees, payable to the EPO as receiving office: transmittal fee (€ 125), fee for priority document (€ 50), fee for requesting restoration of the right of priority (€ 610); and payable to the EPO as ISA: international search fee (€ 1875)

As from the same date, there will be a change in the amounts of some national fees payable to the EPO as designated or elected office, of which a few are listed hereinafter: filing fee where the form for entry into the EP phase is filed online (€ 115), additional fee for pages in excess of 35 (€ 14), designation fee for one or more EPO contracting states designated (€ 555), search fee for applications filed on or after 01/07/2005 (€ 1165), examination fee for applications filed on or after 01/07/2005 (€ 1555).

In J18/09 the Legal Board of Appeal has decided that the validation acts for entry into the EP phase of an international application are requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to be able to validly file an EP divisional application based thereon. In other words, switching to another invention upon entry into the EP phase cannot be performed by directly filing a divisional application, without performing first the required acts for entry for the original application, and thus without incurring the costs for entry involved. This confirms that filing different inventions in a single international application, e.g. for cost considerations, is not a strainghtforward decision and should each time be carefully questioned. Also the act of paying additional search fees during the international phase should be well-considered each time.

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Following fees are involved: filing fee (1088EUR -> 1174EUR), fee per sheet in excess of 30 (12EUR -> 13EUR), but also the reductions for electronic filing increase (164EUR -> 177EUR).

On 11/05 the Mechelen office moves to Boortmeerbeek. Telecommunication means to the Mechelen office will be interrupted at least part of the day, but the Merelbeke office remains contactable. The Mechelen office will be back operational as from Monday 14/05.

We welcome Geertrui Clarysse, who will provide administrative support to the DenK iP team.

We welcome Claudia Rosseel, who will provide administrative support to the DenK iP team.