UK revises intellectual property fee structure effective April 2026

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has announced an increase in fees for registering trademarks, designs and patents, effective from April 1, 2026. The revision follows the implementation of the UK’s Intellectual Property Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocation and Transitional Provisions) Rules in 2026.

This marks the first comprehensive revision in decades, with the last fee increases recorded in 1998 for trademarks, 2016 for designs, and 2018 for patents. The IPO stated that the changes aim to address a 32 per cent rise in inflation since 2016 while supporting continued investment in digital systems and services.

The UK IPO has increased fees for trademarks, designs and patents from April 1, 2026 under new rules, marking the first major revision in years.
The move reflects a 32 per cent rise in inflation since 2016 and aims to support continued investment in digital systems and services, with transitional provisions applicable for certain filings and payments.

The updated fees apply to all applications and payments made on or after April 1, 2026. Transitional provisions have also been outlined for certain cases. For designs, deferred registration requests submitted from April 1 onwards will be subject to the new fees, even if the original application was filed earlier.

For trademarks, applicants using the permitted period of grace may still be eligible to pay the previous fee, provided the application was filed before April 1 and any outstanding payment is completed within the IPO’s deadline.

Separately, UKFT has submitted industry feedback to the IPO regarding the UK’s updated Design Framework, which is expected to be announced later this year.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)