Patent translation

Patent translation is the ultimate level of technical translation because by the time the application is filed patent is the cutting edge of technology. Translating it requires thorough understanding of often very special field of expertise. Many law offices provide translations, but it is important to realize that most offices farm translation out and file them with little or no review. Law firms wish to have as many translations as they can (regardless the field) and use a pool of translators to translate them. This bulk approach is prone to problems because the translation is carried out by some some unspecified, available (free lance) translator and there is no guarantee of the accuracy of the translation and especially no consistency as the translators are not the same. The translations are supposedly proof-read by a technically-qualified attorney but a quick look at published national translations, which are nowadays available in the internet, indicates that translations are of variable quality including clear errors.

Patentee´s concern is to ensure that the translation meets the necessary quality standards. However, there is no such thing as a perfect translation. A word or phrase in one language rarely corresponds exactly to a single word or phrase in another language and as such translation is an interpretive art. All translations necessarily carry the risk of loss or distortion of original message. This risk is best mitigated by ensuring that the translation is prepared consistently. Clearly, it is unsafe to assume that a translation prepared on a rush basis by the lowest bidder will be free of errors. Simple omission, which is the most common type of translation error, can have profound impact on argument concerning disclosure, and more subtle mistakes, caused by insufficient understanding of the source text, can easily derail technical argument when they are exposed!