Patent translation
Patent translation first requires a meticulous amount of research into official sources to ensure that no identical trademarks or patents exist.
Specific technical skills are needed for the translation process, given that the patent to be described and showcased could belong to any number of different fields. Terminological precision is essential, as is strict loyalty to the original text, a requirement of all legally valid documents. Patent translation must ensure that the patent coding system is adhered to, with every patent divided up into its specific structural components: title, summary, state of the art, statement of case, description of preferred form, designs if applicable, primary and secondary claims.
Clarity of explanation is no less important, in that this plays a vital role in broadening protection of the invention and accelerating the first-filing process.
Trademarks, patents, drawings and models are intangible assets that play an increasingly important role in valuation of companies and attest to their level of innovation and competitiveness.
Nowadays, intellectual and industrial property have become key drivers of global economic growth. Any company — in any sector — that aims to compete on the world stage must protect its assets globally by filing international patents. This means translating their patent requests for evaluation and approval in the languages spoken in the relevant jurisdiction.
The languages of patents
In 2012, the European Union decided to implement a common patent policy by establishing what is known as the Unitary Patent. According to this new linguistic framework, applications can be filed in the language of the applicant company, followed within one month by a translation into English, French or German.
Along with Spain, Italy has for the moment decided not to sign up toonto this form of cooperation, due to the exclusion of Italian from the list of official localisationlocalization languages. However, Italian companies can still benefit from the guarantees and protection provided by the system by registering at the Italian Trademarks and Patents office and presenting both the original documentation in Italian and a corresponding translation in English, French or German.