Businesses have weeks to beat a sharp rise in UK IP costs

A significant shift is coming for businesses that rely on UK intellectual property rights. From 1 April 2026, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) will implement its biggest fee increase for some time (trademark fees have been unchanged since 1998, design fees since 2016, and patent fees since 2018). This means fees for patent, trademark, and design filings will increase by an average of 25%.

For entrepreneurs and growing businesses, that is not simply a marginal tweak. It is a material change to the cost of protecting your brand and your innovations.

The window to file at current rates closes on 31 March, and businesses that act before that date can lock in today’s lower fees. However, those that do not will need to factor significantly higher costs into their IP budgets going forward.

Why are fees going up?

The UKIPO has been clear about the rationale. Inflation of around 32% since 2016, combined with rising operating costs, means the current fee schedule no longer covers the cost of delivering its services. The increase is also intended to fund further investment in the UKIPO’s systems and infrastructure, for example, to improve efficiency and the overall user experience for applicants.

Even with the increases, UKIPO fees remain competitive by international standards. But that broader context offers limited comfort to businesses facing higher costs right now, particularly SMEs and scale-ups where IP budgets are tight.

Fees in focus

The key increases for online applications with payment on filing are:

• Patents: rising from £60 to £75 (if paid on filing online), with the request for a substantive examination rising from £100 to £130.
• Trademarks: rising from £170 to £205 (one class application), with additional classes costs rising from £50 to £60.
• Registered Designs: rising from £50 to £60 (single application) or £70 to £85 (application for up to 10 designs).

Across many trademarks, patents, and designs, with renewals, amendments, and any opposition actions, the cumulative impact does add up.

The case for acting now

If you are planning to file a patent, trademark, or registered design application in the coming months, the advice is straightforward: act before 31 March. Fees are determined by the date payment is made, not the date an application is examined. Filing and paying before the deadline means you pay today’s rates, even if your application is not assessed until later.

The same logic applies to renewals, in which UK trademarks and registered designs can be renewed up to six months before their expiry date and up to three months before the due date of a patent. If you have renewals falling due in the months ahead, it is worth checking whether they can be actioned now and paid at current rates. For businesses already operating in tough market conditions amid rising costs, any opportunity to lock in lower costs should be taken seriously.

A prompt to review your IP portfolio

Beyond the immediate deadline, this fee change is also a timely prompt to take stock of your wider IP position. Many businesses hold registered rights that were filed years ago and have not been revisited since. Details may be outdated, and some registrations may no longer reflect the products or services you actually offer.

Ultimately, your registrations should still reflect where your business is going — not just where it has been.

For growing businesses in particular, IP is a strategic asset. Trademarks protect brand equity and commercial reputation. Patents can support investment cases and defend competitive advantage, while registered designs safeguard product innovation. Getting the portfolio right matters, and the cost of failing to protect IP is almost always higher than the cost of registering it.

Move before March is out

With less than two weeks remaining, there is still time to act. If you have applications, renewals approaching, or an IP portfolio that has not been reviewed recently, now is the moment to move, and an IP specialist is essential to this.

The savings are real, but only for businesses that act before March is out.

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