Reference fees across major markets

Patent filing
all-in fee schedule

Stage-by-stage fee bands and timelines (HKD) from disclosure assessment, drafting and multi-jurisdictional filing through grant maintenance.

INSIGHT

Before reading the quote

01

Stage-fee structure

Patents are not lump-sum like trademarks — drafting, filing, prosecution, grant and annuities are paid in stages. The table below typically covers drafting through first-round grant; annuities run separately.

02

Tech complexity drives the estimate

Within the same filing type, mechanical structures and AI algorithms can sit a 2× apart — driven by drafting hours, claim count and prosecution rounds.

03

PCT to lock priority

If target countries aren't fixed, file PCT first to lock 30/31 months of priority — then enter national phase by market value, avoiding the cost of filing every country at once.

PROCESS

Five steps from disclosure to grant

STEP 01

Disclosure assessment

NDA → technical disclosure → novelty / patentability search → assess commercial value and filing strategy (direct vs PCT vs none).

STEP 02

Drafting

Registered agents draft the specification, claims and figures. The breadth of claims sets the litigation reach for the next 20 years.

STEP 03

Filing

File at each IPO — HK IPD / CN CNIPA / US USPTO / EPO / PCT International Bureau. Lock the priority date.

STEP 04

Prosecution

Respond to examiner Office Actions, amend claims, file submissions. Most cases run one to three rounds.

STEP 05

Grant & maintenance

Collect the patent certificate, pay annuities (rising annually), watch competitor patents, raise infringement alerts.

Engagement

Fee structure

Reference fee bands (HKD) for major markets, broken out by stage. The actual estimate depends on disclosure content, claim count and prosecution rounds.

Hong Kong

HK Short-Term Patent

RangeHK$30,000 – 50,000

Drafting + filing + grant; 8-year protection, formal examination

HK Standard Patent (re-reg)

RangeHK$8,000 – 15,000

Re-registration from CN/UK/EP standard patent; 20 years

Mainland China

CN Invention Patent

RangeHK$25,000 – 45,000

Drafting + filing + prosecution + grant; 20 years, substantive examination

CN Utility Model

RangeHK$8,000 – 15,000

Drafting + filing; 10 years, formal examination

CN Design Patent

RangeHK$5,000 – 10,000

Design patent (compare with the Hague filing on /ip/design)

United States

US Provisional

RangeHK$20,000 – 35,000

12-month provisional priority; not examined; locks the date

US Non-Provisional

RangeHK$60,000 – 120,000

Drafting + filing + first office action response; varies by complexity

Europe

EPO Direct Filing

RangeHK$80,000 – 150,000

Centralised filing; national validation after grant

National validation

RangeHK$8,000 – 15,000 / cty

DE / GB / FR / CH key markets, per-country validation

Other Asia

JP Patent

RangeHK$60,000 – 100,000

Accelerated examination available

KR Patent

RangeHK$50,000 – 90,000

Drafting + filing + first office action response

International

PCT International Phase

RangeHK$45,000 – 65,000

Lock priority; 30/31 months to enter designated states

PCT National Phase (per country)

RangeHK$15,000 – 80,000

Per-country entry, depends on complexity and prosecution rounds

Contact

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Patent fee schedule · Major markets | Team-E