Reducing Patent Fees for Small Entities and Micro Entities Under the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) amends patent fees for small and micro entities set forth in its regulations to implement the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023--which included the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022 (UAIA). The UAIA, signed into law on December 29, 2022, supports the USPTO's efforts to reduce the innovation ecosystem's barriers to entry. The UAIA increased fee discounts for small entities from 50% to 60% and fee discounts for micro entities from 75% to 80% for fees for filing, searching, examining, issuing, appealing, and maintaining patent applications and patents. The UAIA also increased fee discounts for small entities from 75% to 80% for filing a basic nonprovisional utility application electronically.