Innovar employs a multi-pronged approach toward maintenance of its clients' patents worldwide. Unlike other firms, we work with you to conduct annual patent portfolio reviews with the purpose of reducing, rather than increasing overall patent maintenance costs.
Patents must be maintained by the payment of annuities or periodic maintenance fees, depending upon the country in which the patent was filed. Accordingly, the longer the patent is kept enforceable, the higher the overall patent cost. Also, the higher the number of countries into which a patent application is filed, the higher the overall cost in maintaining the patent family. The amount of each annuity and maintenance fee increases from one period to the next, and the official fees vary widely across the world.
In most countries, the annuity/maintenance fee must be paid by a patent practitioner in that country. This means that U.S. patent firms must contract with an annuity service provider or with local counsel in each foreign country in order to coordinate payment of the fees. Where possible, we pay the fees directly; otherwise, Innovar has developed strong relationships with its network of foreign associates and annuity service providers. We obtain the best services and fees available for our clients in order to keep their costs for patent maintenance to a minimum.