Numerous European patent applicants and
proprietors have informed the European Patent Office (EPO) that firms
and individuals have sent them invoices inviting them to pay for the
publication and/or registration of their applications and patents.
Similar reports have been received from applicants who have filed
international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT
applications).
These firms and individuals use names,
abbreviations and/or logos designed to make it appear that the invoice
has been issued by an official source. In some cases, they use ones
bearing a confusing similarity to those of the EPO or WIPO in an attempt
to give the impression that they are acting on those organisations'
behalf.
Examples of invoices received in relation to European patent applications and patents can be found below.
Information on and examples of invoices received in relation to PCT applications can be found on the WIPO website.
Despite the misleading official look of
such invoices, the services offered by these firms are unrelated to the
processing of European patent applications and PCT applications by the
EPO and WIPO. There is therefore no obligation to pay any invoice
issued by these firms for the processing of your patent application by
the EPO and WIPO. Moreover, any payment made to these firms will have no
legal effect whatsoever in proceedings under the EPC and the PCT.
As regards the publication of European and PCT applications and European patents, please note the following:
Only the EPO can publish and register
European patent applications and patents with legal effect, and it does
so automatically.
Similarly, the International Bureau of
WIPO alone is responsible for the international publication of PCT
applications. The international filing fee to be paid to the receiving
Office within one month of filing the PCT application covers the cost of
such publication, and no separate fee is payable (Rule 15 PCT).
The EPO advises you to read carefully the
content of any invitation to make payments in relation to your patent
applications and patents. In particular, it strongly recommends that you
check the payment subject and the bank account number appearing in the
invoice. You can find the details of the only EPO bank account to which
payments can validly be made and a complete list of fees and expenses
payable to the EPO, together with their current rates, in supplementary publication 2, OJ EPO 2018, "Schedule of fees and expenses of the EPO" (for PCT-related fees, see p. 20).
If in doubt as to the legitimacy of any
invitation or invoice received, please contact your legal
representative, the EPO in Munich (+49 89 2399-5318 or fakeinvoices@epo.org) or WIPO (+41 22 338 83 38 or pct.legal@wipo.int).
Examples of invoices:
- OIP - Organisation Intellectual Property (PDF, 154 KB)
- EUIP - Intellectual Property Organisation Service (PDF, 922 KB)
- European Intellectual Property Agency (PDF, 2.1 MB)
- World Patent & Trademark Agency (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Glotrade S.R.O d.o.o. (PDF, 127 KB)
- WIPI - World Intellectual Property Institute Kft. (PDF, 72 KB)
- Intelectual Property Services (PDF, 88 KB)
- Hammond Glades (PDF, 83 KB)
- IPATD (PDF, 83 KB)
- WPTR (PDF, 140 KB)
- IOIP (PDF, 87 KB)
- IPRS (PDF 116 KB)
- EUPAT (PDF, 44 KB)
- IPTA International Patent & Trademark Agency (PDF, 79 KB)
- GLOPAT - Global Patents & Trademarks (PDF, 61 KB)
- IP Direct - International Patent Trademark Directory (PDF, 79 KB)
- TPR - Trademark Publication Register (PDF, 47 KB)
- International Patent Office Application (PDF, 58 KB)
- IPWTO - Intellectual Property World Trade Organization (PDF, 134 KB)
- EPR - European Patent and Trademark Registration (PDF, 160 KB)
- GTPS - Global Trademark and Patent Service (PDF, 102 KB)
- TPP - Marken und Patent- veröffentlichungen (PDF, 257 KB)
- IPT PATENTS (PDF, 411 KB)
- IP save (PDF, 432 KB)
- TPP – European Trademark & Patent Publications (PDF, 48 KB)
- TPP – Trademark and Patent Publications (PDF, 64 KB)
- IPTO – International Patent & Trademark Organization (PDF, 488 KB)
- European Patent Service Register (PDF, 120 KB)
- ETP - European Trademark Publication (PDF, 136 KB)
- R & W Stretch Ceilings Ltd. (PDF, 73 KB)
- European Patent Organization (PDF, 600 KB)
- European Patent Portal (PDF, 225 KB)
- F.O.I.P. Register of the Granted European Patents (PDF, 63 KB)
- WPTI World Patent and Trademark Index (PDF, 113 KB)
- E.C.R-Euro Central Reg. (PDF, 243 KB)
- RCE-Registre Central Européen (PDF, 191 KB)
- IPTS Service-International Patent and Trademark Service (PDF, 74 KB)
- PMS Patent und Markenservice AG (PDF, 162 KB)
- Euro IP Register (PDF, 67 KB)
- IBIP – International Bureau for Intellectual Property (PDF, 75 KB)
- EPTR European Patent and Trademark Register (PDF, 254 KB)
- International Trademark and Patent Registration (PDF, 112 KB)
- European Register of Brands and Patents (PDF, 72 KB)
- UPTS Registration of the European Patent (PDF, 70 KB)
- Patent Trademark Register (PDF, 64 KB)
- TPs trademark and Patent Service (PDF, 63 KB)
- Novislink Limited (PDF, 39 KB)
- WDTP Worldwide Database of Trademarks and Patents (PDF, 49 KB)
- IP DATA Register of European Patents (PDF, 149 KB)
- IPTR International Patent and Trademark Register (PDF, 58 KB)
- F.O.I.P – Register of the European Patent Application (PDF, 170 KB)
- EOOD Patent und Markendienst (PDF, 74 KB)
- IPTG International Patent and Trademark Guide (PDF, 234 KB)
- WIPP-World Intellectual Property Publisher (PDF, 105 KB)
- RPT Servis - world wide patent service (PDF, 100 KB)
- Registration of international patents (PDF, 114 KB)
- International Patent Portal – IPP (PDF, 1 MB)
- WIPO – World Intelligent Property Office (PDF, 90 KB)
- IPTO – International Patent & Trademark Office (PDF, 78 KB)
- WPTS – World Patent & Trademark Service (PDF, 83 KB)
- IPT Register (PDF, 196 KB)
- ipsave (PDF, 122 KB)
- OPT - Organization for Patents and Trademarks (PDF, 55 KB)
- WOIP - World Organization Intellectual Property (PDF, 52 KB)
- WPTO – World Patent & Trademark Organization (PDF, 85 KB)
- EP – Euro EP Register (PDF, 88 KB)
- IPTI – International Patent & Trademark Index (PDF, 65 KB)
- TPR - Trademark Publication Register (PDF, 46 KB)
- IPO - Intellectual Property Office (PDF 95 KB)
- TPP – European Trademark & Patent Publications (PDF, 121 KB)