The USPTO has announced a number of fee increases to “better serve” its trademark constituency.  The majority of the fee increases punish those Luddites among us who still make paper filings.  The fees for paper filings are increasing between 60% and 200%.  However the fee increases also impact e-filers, with increases ranging from 23% and 100%, and the introduction of new fees for requesting an extension of time to file a Notice of Opposition.

On the positive side, in addition to 37 fee increases and four new fees to better serve us, the USPTO is lowering the fee to electronically file a request for extension of time to file a Statement of Use from $150 to $125.  Why it costs $125 to get an extension, and still only $100 to examine an actual Statement of Use filing, seems less “to better align fees with full costs, ” and more like charging what the market will bear.

As you pay higher fees for your trademark filings, take comfort in the fact that you are being better served.