05/04/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 4 April, the European Patents Office (EPO) announced that, from the beginning of the month, there will be a reduction in the cost of filing patents according to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). No adjustment for inflation is planned for the period 2018 to 2020. The EPO is cutting its costs of research and scrutiny by €100 and increasing the existing discount on the cost of European examination for files that have already been looked at by the EPO in the past from 50% to 75%. This latest measure means that applicants will pay €456.24 compared with €912.50. In total, the measures mean a reduction of €656, i.e. a 14% cut in the cost compared with the current situation, the office states. To consult the explanatory graph: https://bit.ly/2GBvomR. (PH)