New Zealand Design Official Fees

Protecting the visual appearance of your products is a smart business investment. While the value of a registered design lies in the exclusive rights and competitive advantage it provides, understanding the associated costs is essential for effective budget planning. The cost structure for design registration in New Zealand is relatively streamlined, consisting of initial application fees, ongoing renewal costs to maintain your rights, and specific fees related to legal disputes or hearings.

That said, all figures are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD) and do not include Goods and Services Tax (GST). If you are an applicant or requestor based in New Zealand, GST at a rate of 15% will apply to these figures.

Application Fees

The journey to protection begins with filing an application for registration. IPONZ charges a fee of $100 for this initial step. This fee is remarkably inclusive. It applies regardless of whether your application is for a single article, such as a chair, or for a “set of articles,” such as a matching suite of furniture or a cutlery set. This provides a cost-effective way to protect a cohesive product line in a single filing.

Furthermore, this flat fee applies irrespective of the type of application you are filing. Whether you are filing a standard “non-convention” application or a “convention” application, where you claim a priority date based on an earlier overseas filing, the government fee remains $100. This transparency makes it easier to forecast the initial government costs of your design portfolio.

It is crucial to get the application right the first time. The application fee is generally not refundable once the application has been submitted. If an application is rejected due to errors or lack of novelty, the fee is not returned. This highlights the importance of our pre-filing services, where we assess your design and prepare the documentation to ensure the highest chance of success before any fees are committed.

Renewal Fees

A design registration in New Zealand is not a one-off purchase, i.e. it is an asset that must be maintained. The maximum lifespan of a design registration is 15 years, but this term is broken down into three five-year periods. To keep your design in force, you must pay renewal fees at the end of each period.

The fee for the first renewal, which extends your protection for a second period of five years, is $100. If you wish to extend your protection for the final, third period of five years, the fee is $200. These relatively low maintenance costs allow you to keep your most valuable designs protected for their full statutory life without incurring a heavy financial burden. We track these deadlines in our docketing system to ensure your renewals are paid promptly, securing your continued exclusivity in the market.

Dispute and Hearing Fees

In the course of managing a design registration, legal disputes may occasionally arise. This could happen if a third party opposes a correction you try to make to the register, or if you find yourself involved in a formal hearing before the Commissioner. These proceedings incur higher fees due to the administrative and legal resources involved.

If a notice of opposition is filed, either by an opponent challenging a registration or by a party opposing a correction of error, the fee is $300. If the matter proceeds to a formal hearing, a fee of $750 is payable by each party involved. While we aim to resolve disputes before they reach this stage, it is important to be aware of these potential costs when considering enforcement or defense strategies.

Contact us today for a free consultation.