As mentioned yesterday, the UPC Preparatory Committee has now published the consultation on UPC court fees and recoverable costs. The consultation document is available here and the consultation runs until 31 July 2015 (midnight).

The UPC website offers the following further information:

• The consultation document contains a couple of options for a revised Rule 370, a table of fees (including the proposed opt-out and “opt-in” fees – both 80€), a scale of ceilings for recoverable costs and an Explanatory Note.
• Electronic responses should be sent to secretariat@unified-patent-court.org by 31 July 2015 (midnight) preferably in English.
• The Committee needs to be able to identify those making contributions.
• The fee structure for the Unified Patent Court will comprise fixed fees and, for certain actions, an additional value based fee. The fee levels proposed are the lowest that will enable eventual sustainability of the Court.
• As well as the proposed fee levels, the consultation document also deals with support for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the like, the threshold at which a value-based fee will be payable; and a scale of ceilings for recoverable costs.

More commentary will follow!

Mark Richardson 8 May 2015