Trump Officials Consider Value-Based Tax on Patents

The Trump administration is reportedly weighing a dramatic overhaul of the U.S. patent system by replacing flat maintenance fees with an annual “property tax” of 1–5% on patent value, according to The Wall Street Journal. The proposal, led by Commerce Department officials, could sharply raise costs for many patent holders and would make the U.S. an outlier among major economies. While some argue that value-based fees could benefit patents with little or no worth, critics warn the change would likely come on top of existing fees, hitting industries like biotech especially hard—as reflected in recent market declines. CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE