Restoration

If your patent has ceased because you did not pay your renewal fee in time or within the 6 months grace period for late payment, you can apply to restore it.

You must apply to restore your patent by the last day of the 19th month after the date the patent lapsed. This period cannot be extended.

Please note that even though the final deadline for applying to restore the patent is the end of the 19th month following the renewal date, you should consider applying as soon as possible in order to minimise the risk that a third party will gain the right to use the invention.

Send us your application

Please send your filled in form 16 and your fee of GBP £135 to:

Intellectual Property Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
South Wales
NP10 8QQ
United Kingdom

You also need to send us evidence to support your application.

Evidence

You must give the reasons for failing to pay your renewal fee. You have to satisfy us that your failure to renew the patent was unintentional.

Any material filed may be open to public inspection, including on our website.

What happens next?

We will publish your application for restoration in the Patents and Designs Journal and record it on the Patents Register.

If we are satisfied that your failure to renew your patent was unintentional, we will offer you the opportunity to restore your patent. However, you will need to pay the outstanding renewal fees and accept any third party terms that may apply.

For an explanation of third party terms please read the document entitled Restoring your patent (320Kb).

If we are not satisfied that you patent should be restored, you may request a hearing with a senior official.

We will publish the outcome in the Patents and Designs Journal and record it on the Patents Register.