Maintain a patent

It is your responsibility to meet renewal fee deadlines for your patent or patent application and ensure that it does not lapse and to ensure patent details are up to date. You may also wish to make limited changes in response to an examination report from IPONZ.

All requests can be submitted online through our Maintain a Patent or Renew a Patent service.

Renew a patent

Patent renewal fees are due in the 4th, 7th, 10th and 13th years of the patent (calculated from the filing date of the complete specification).

To maintain the patent in force you must renew the patent within 6 months of the renewal due date. Renewals can only be submitted for patents that have been granted and sealed and have not yet lapsed.

If you fail to pay a renewal fee your patent will be removed from the register of patents six months after the renewal fee due date.

Renew a patent through our online renewal service.

Read more about how to renew a patent.

Change Ownership

Where ownership of a patent changes, the owner or applicant must apply to the Commissioner of patents, trade marks and designs, to register ownership (title) of that patent.

You can request for change of ownership for a patent online.

Read more about how to change ownership.

Change an address and/or name

You can file a notice of the following changes online with the Commissioner of patents, trade marks and designs. These changes will be recorded against client’s details level not at the IP level.

• Address for services,
• Business or residential address,
• Communication address
• Name on the patent register.

Read more about how to change an address and/or name.

Change an agent

You can make an online request to change your professional representative (agent). Make a request for an agent to be assigned to, or changed for, a patent.

Read more about how to change an agent.

Change inventor

You can make an online request for an inventor to be assigned to, or change for, a patent.

Read more on how to request to change or add inventors.

Change licensee/mortgagee/financial interest

Patents can be bought, sold and licensed by way of a contract that defines the terms and conditions upon which you change ownership. You are advised to seek professional legal advice when drafting your contract. IPONZ does not assist in the drafting of contracts between parties, nor does it provide forms for the licensing of patents.

You can make an online request for an interested to be recorded on the register of patent.

Read more on how to request a change of licensee/mortgagee/financial interest.

Amendment

You can make an online request for the following amendments to a patent application.

• Request for voluntary amendment to application and granted patent
• Request for postponement of acceptance

Read more on how to request an amendment.

Surrender

You can make an online offer to surrender your in-force patent at any time. Prior to granting of a patent an application may be withdrawn – see Withdrawing of patents.

Read more on how to surrender a patent.

Withdrawal

You can make an online request to withdraw your patent application at any time. After grant a patent must be surrendered – see Surrendering of patents.

Read more on how to withdraw a patent.

Restoration

Failure to pay a renewal fee within six months of the renewal date will cause a patent to lapse. Failure to respond to an office deadline during the application process will result in the application going abandoned.

Under certain conditions it is possible to restore a lapsed patent or abandoned application.

Read more on how to restore a patent.