The Importance Of Patent Translation

What does ‘patent’ mean?

The term ‘patent’ stems from a Latin term, patere meaning to ‘lay open’. An inventor of a new product, service or method of production is ‘laying open’their invention in their patent to ensure that other people are not able to use their novel invention without their permission

What is a patent?

A patent is where a sovereign state or an intergovernmental organisation grants an inventor a set of exclusive rights for a limited period of time (usually 20 years) in exchange for detailed public disclosure of an invention. This set of rights is called a patent. It guarantees that no other person may benefit from selling the patent holder’s inventions. Patents are a form of intellectual property.

However, as they are highly specialised and detailed documents, the meaning and purpose of an original patent can be lost in translation. It is crucial that patents for filing are translated by experienced patent translators who understand patent language and who are familiar with the field in which the patent is being filed.

A translation is helpful in obtaining information from a foreign patent and also a translation of the original patent can be filed in order to receive new IP rights in other countries.

Patent translation for filing

A patent translation can be filed with an international patent office for new patent rights in a foreign country. However, there is only a short amount of time permitted to file a patent translation and obtain patent rights in another country, therefore it is essential for an applicant to use a knowledgeable legal translation service.

Patent translation for information

Apart from filing, patent translations are commissioned to understand a competitor’s patent or for investors to understand what the patent covers. This can be used to find out the basic information in a patent or just a specific part of a patent.

Bath Translations can help you with the translation of patent documents and offers IP translation for both publication and information purposes. We also provide professional translation services such as medical document translation, legal document translation, patent translation, business interpreting and conference interpreting services. Please contact us on 01985 250074 with any enquiries or for a no-obligation quote.