The new official patent and trademark fees were introduced by the Russian government's order of September 15, 2011, No. 781, and came into force this month, after Russia formally joined the World Trade Organization (WTO).
As prescribed by the WTO, the Russian government's order introduced equal fees for both domestic and foreign applicants.
In terms of patents, the domestic applicants now have to pay higher fees than before, whereas the official fees for foreign applicants have been reduced by 50-70 percent for some actions.
The official fees for trademark matters were the same for both domestic and foreign applicants during the last 7 or 8 years. Now the official fees for trademark prosecution have increased by approximately 30 percent.
The order stipulates a 15 percent discount for the electronic filing, i.e. a EUR 3-10 (USD 4-13) discount, depending on the type of the official fee, and a 50 percent discount for the official fees for small business applicants
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