The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, was given the authority to set their own fees. These new fees set by the USPTO will be effective on March 19, 2013. Patent maintenance fees under this new system have significantly increased. Below are charts showing the current maintenance fees and new maintenance fees.
Intellectual Property Alert: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office raising patent fees
By McDonald Hopkins News on February 28th, 2013