Patent translation service: everything you need to know

For industries, patent translation services, especially in today’s globalized era, are one of the competitive tools required to guarantee the security of ideas, inventions, and projects.

These are highly specialized services for which patent translation companies must have not only extensive experience in the sector, but also translators who have a high level of knowledge of the source and target languages and who are also capable of producing highly accurate and reliable translations of the technical and legal specifications.

What is patent translation?

Patent translation is a specialized type of translation in which the source language text of each document required in the filing and approval of a patent must be understood in order to create texts in a target language that accurately reflect the original technical and legal meaning.

The documents associated with patent translation include technical specifications (descriptions, background information, claims, development, drawings, etc.), patent amendments, official notices from the office in charge, communications between lawyers... In other words, any document required for the application and registration process.

When are patent translation services necessary?

As is known, a patent represents the right granted by a State to an individual or company to exclusively use a product of its own invention, whereas third parties can only have access to it with the proper authorization. It is the way in which a natural or legal person protects their invention and allows them to present their projects in the domestic or international market.

Consequently, the patent is an exclusive right applicable only in the territory of the granting nation. The patent translation service is required to:

• Apply for registration in foreign territories, if you wish to globalize the industry, or in the case of establishing alliances with foreign investors. In this case, we are talking about the translation of patents for filing, so the documents are intended for officials, lawyers and attorneys specializing in patents.

• Present evidence in ongoing legal proceedings. In this case, we are talking about patent translations for information, because they are necessary for the recipient to find out technical content that has already been registered.

Therefore, this type of translation needed in international business is vital in expanding the industry and improving its competitiveness. The quality of the patent translation service is indispensable to ensure the company’s legal protection of its intellectual property rights in foreign territories.

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Patent translation specifications

Due to the breadth and diversity of the technical fields in which projects and inventions can be developed, patent translation becomes a very demanding practice. Its main requirements are the following:

• Extensive command of the native language and of the foreign language, both at grammatical level and at technical and legal language level. This is what will guarantee the accuracy and fidelity of the translation.

• In-depth knowledge of patent registration, specifications and unique terms used in this field.

• Extensive knowledge of the technology of specific fields and strong research skills. Only in this way can the translator understand the invention and the content of the documents detailing its description and scope.

The impact of errors in patent translations

If industries fail to effectively translate their patent specifications by delegating such an important job to unqualified patent translation agencies, they expose themselves to errors with negative impacts such as the following:

• Inaccurate or incomplete description and scope of the invention.

• Slowing down of the patent registration process.

• Increased costs of the patent application process.

• Theft of the project or invention.

• Legal and financial risks.

• Invalidity of the patent.

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This is what a company offering patent translation services should look like

A patent translation company must ensure that its client’s project will run smoothly thanks to its extensive ability and experience to generate translations that are accurate and faithful to the source text.

In addition to being able to overcome translation challenges and having several professionals specialized in the different technical and legal fields, these companies must also have quick and efficient procedures that allow them to deliver reliable results in the shortest possible time.

Patent translation companies or agencies must be a perfect ally in protecting the intellectual property rights of their clients.

At Pangeanic, we specialize in technical and legal translation for organizations. We translate your patents, projects, contracts, and other documents you need for your globalization. Our services exceed international quality requirements and we are able to deliver fast, reliable, and professional results.