What is an abandonment fee?

An abandonment fee is a fee that is paid by a patent applicant in South Carolina to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) when the applicant decides not to continue with their patent application. It is commonly referred to as an “abandonment fee” because the applicant is essentially abandoning the application and not moving forward with the process. The abandonment fee is generally only required when the application is withdrawn, and is not required when the application is denied or refused. The amount of the abandonment fee varies depending on the type of patent application being processed. For utility patents, the abandonment fee is currently $110.00. For design patents, the abandonment fee is currently $225.00. The abandonment fees must be received by the USPTO within 14 days of the withdrawal of the patent application. If the abandonment fee is not received within the specified timeframe, the application will be considered void and the patent process cannot be completed. The purpose of the abandonment fee is to help offset the costs of examining patent applications and issuing patents, as the USPTO does not charge an application fee for patent applications. The abandonment fee also helps ensure that the USPTO can cover the administrative costs associated with processing and examining patent applications.

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