A 'raid' on the infringer will usually cost around $5,000 USD to undertake. When the plaintiff files a claim, a filing fee has to be paid which is calculated as a percentage of the amount of the claim. Costs can also rise should the court incur additional expenditure, for example if additional translation is required or if the court needs to gain expert opinion on the case. Collecting evidence is often a problem for litigants. Any documents need to be translated and this translation should be undertaken by a trusted source. Evidence which comes from overseas should be notarized and subsequently verified by the Chinese embassy of the country from which the evidence originates from.
As a case progresses through the court system costs of course will accumulate. The cost of preparing a complaint is around $10,000 USD while the eventual cost of a trial can be anywhere between $300,000 USD to $500,000 USD.
