Patent Translation: Protection In Every Language

You probably know what a patent is, but do you know why patent translation is important?

Patents: what are they?

Let’s take a step back if you’re not really sure what we are talking about. A patent is an official document that gives an inventor moral and property rights on their invention.

For it to be effective, a patent must be approved by a patent office, on a national or international level, for example, European.

Let’s find out when patent translation comes into play and why it is so important.

patent translation: a “faithful” work

So why should you translate patent documents? Because every national office you apply to requires a translation into the official language of the country. So let’s say you want your patent protected in Italy, you will then need to ask for patent translation in Italian.

Also, it’s crucial that the translator is specialised in this field, as there are many non-written guidelines to follow in order for the patent to be effective.

What matters the most is consistency and equivalence. The translated text must reproduce the terminology and structure of the source text as much as possible; even changing a “the” to “a” or vice versa can alter the meaning of something! Keep this in mind also if you want to know how to write a patent because the same rules apply. The better the source text, the better the translated result.

Who can translate your patent?

If you wish to present a patent application in a specific country, translating it is a fundamental step. As we said earlier, your patent application must be translated into the official language of each country it is presented in. So, if you’re a foreign inventor wishing to protect your invention in Italy, you should ask a patent translator to translate your patent application into Italian.

Patent translation is a real specialism, part of the technical field, with features of the legal context. The translator who will take care of your patent must be well prepared.

I regularly offer patent translation services, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need your patent translated into Italian!