3 Ways Patent Translation Differs from Other Types of Translations

By Vu Quang Minh

Translation is the language of globalization. It especially plays an important role in commerce and trade. The conversion of one language to another can achieve various purposes, such as communicating with people from different countries, preserving culture and history, educating and informing, entertaining and more!

Patents promote innovation and protect intellectual property rights. They grant inventors exclusive rights to their creations, allowing them to monetize their ideas and prevent others from unauthorized use. However, for these rights to be effectively enforceable, it is important to ensure that patent information is accessible and understood by individuals and companies across different countries. Without clear and accurate patent translation, the value of patents can be diminished, as it becomes difficult for innovators to navigate the global patent system and protect their inventions. As such, only precise translation can contribute to the internationalization of the invention!

Translating it correctly will help the patent “don a new language coat” wherever the patent goes.

All forms of IP are territorial in nature. This means that IP rights are ONLY valid within the territory or territories where the owner is granted the right. When seeking to protect your patent in any country, the patent or invention needs to be “equipped” with the language of that country to start and continue the necessary legal procedures for granting the patent rights.

So, what makes patent translation different from other types of translation? Let’s explore.

Discipline:

Terminologies, grammar, statistics, numbers, and even punctuations in patent translations must strictly adhere to the original text as technical translations require high accuracy. Even a minor error in terminology or data would cause substantial “damage”, leading to a different scope of protection, or complete rejection of the patent.

Novelty:

A patent must possess novelty. However, this novelty varies across degrees: new, very new, and extremely new. With rapidly evolving industries such as artificial intelligence, new terms lacking definitions in standard dictionaries are emerging. This forces patent translators to coin new terms in their respective languages, all while preserving the essence of the original term. It is a process that frequently involves enriching the linguistic basement of their languages!

Diversity:

Human creativity and innovation lead to the creation of diverse inventions across all aspects of life. A patent translator’s role involves traversing different industries, moving from electronics to biochemistry, or shifting between construction and the food and beverage sector. No industry is left out!

This underscores the necessity for a patent translator to possess in-depth knowledge of each industry associated with the patent. They must not only understand the technical concepts clearly but also ensure that the technical terms are used correctly and accurately.

In conclusion, patent translations may be more complicated and stricter, but, they hold greater translation value and more profitable benefits compared to other types of translations.

If you need any help with patent translation matters, let Trazion help you!