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<p>The fee changes are being made after a full public consultation and Impact Assessment
(<a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-statutory-patents-fees"
target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-statutory-patents-fees</a>).
Past experience has shown that previous fee increases have resulted in small or no
changes in the number of patent applications. The new fees remain modest but are designed
to encourage businesses and, in particular, individuals to consider carefully – before
they apply – whether patent protection will be of benefit to them. We therefore expect
to see a decrease in the number of speculative applications, and applications with
little chance of successfully being granted a patent. The Impact Assessment modelled
a 10% decrease in the number of applications on this basis, but no decrease is expected
in the number of valid patents being granted to innovators. This will ensure that
valuable patent examiner resources can be more focussed on patent applications with
a prospect of success, to the benefit of innovative businesses.</p><p> </p>
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