Renewal Procedure and Patent Renewal Fees at the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ)
An informational summary of the patent renewal rules in place for New Zealand patents.
Renewal Years
The patent office requires renewal payments both before and after the grant of the patent, at four points during the patent’s life, starting with a payment for the fifth year of the patent’s life, due by the fourth anniversary of the effective filing date (i.e. the earliest filing date applied to the patent if it is part of a chain).
Terminology
- Fees due before grant are referred to as Maintenance Fees.
- Post-grant, they are referred to as Renewal Fees.
Renewal Dates & Payment Windows
Each renewal payment enables the patent to remain in force for another year – until the next renewal payment is due – and payments are made in advance of the year to which they apply.
The renewal date is the filing date anniversary and payment must be made by that day. You can pay up to three months in advance of this date.
Late Payments
Late payments can be made up to six months after the original due date (i.e. six months after the relevant anniversary). It’s necessary to pay a surcharge of 50NZD in addition to the usual renewal fee to renew the patent during this grace period. This applies to both pre-grant applications and post-grant patents.
Renewal Fee Schedule
Fees listed are in NZD.
| For Patent Year | Maintenance / Renewal Fee (exc. GST) |
|---|---|
| Application (i.e. patent not yet granted) | 200 |
| 5-10 | 200 |
| 11-15 | 450 |
| 16-20 | 1000 |