Executive Summaries » Managing Risk in Foreign Patent Filings

Managing Risk in Foreign Patent Filings

June 6, 2014

For foreign patent filings, employ specialized IP translation teams that include in-country native linguists who have subject matter expertise in the applicable technology as well as experience in patent language and processes, so they can precisely translate the filings. The right translators produce quality documents that lead to clarity, hold up through prosecution and reduce the chances of problems. For example, while European translations of chemical names can look very similar to English, only an experienced chemist fluent in Chinese could employ the proper Chinese equivalent translation. One single letter different in English, such as the difference between “methyl” and “ethyl” in a long chemical name, changes the entire name of the chemical in Chinese. The wrong chemical in translation will likely render at least that portion of the patent unenforceable.

No matter how experienced the translator, the translation quality will be limited by the inability to collaborate and communicate across languages. Errors found in one language may not be corrected in others. By implementing a centralized model that streamlines translations and project management, enterprises can improve consistency and transparency.

While machine translation can play a role, investing in technology-aided human translation is the most efficient way to manage IP translations. Technologies such as translation memory and terminology management contribute to the speed of translation, and provide consistency and value. Implementing best practices internally and using service providers who apply best practices for translating IP documents will help ensure overall quality.

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