CPVO application fee going down

The CPVO has managed to keep it quiet, but we’ve finally received official notification of something that we have known about for quite a while – the application fee for EU Plant Variety Rights is to be reduced from 1 January 2013 from the current level of EUR 900 to a new fee of EUR 650 – a saving of EUR 250. This will result in somthing like a 10% reduction in the total cost of obtaining a CPVR for those varieties where only one cycle of DUS examination is required.

We continue to recommend that variety owners defer making applications until after January 1 to take advantage of this new rate, provided that this would still ensure that the application is received by the CPVO not more than 364 days after the first offer for sale. There are also often other good reasons for deferring an application until after the first sale, particularly if it can be deferred until after December 1 in any calendar year, for reasons that we would be pleased to discuss in confidence with any prospective applicant.

Which all leaves one question – why has the CPVO not publicised this fee change more widely? It is not mentioned on their website, neither on the front page, nor on the “news” page, nor on the page detailing applicable fees (which is already out of date, referring to the paper form of the Gazette, which has not been issued for quite some time). It almost makes you think that they don’t want potential applicants to know that they could save money if they wait three months!