Patenting and translation

Internet has grown beyond boundaries, languages. It has shortened the intellectual distance between countries and has given rise to the concept of globalization. With the growth of internt, worldwide patent information has also become easily accessible. Since patents are granted for innovations, patents reflect economic growth of a country by illustrating creative activities and displaying the knowledge power of that particular country or region. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to promoting an international intellectual property system, asserts that patent activities reflect up-to-date changes of worldwide industries, and as a consequence, good-quality information is essential in the understanding of current developments (WIPO, 2007h).

With the number of worldwide patent filings on the rise, there is a growing demand for patent translations in order for the patents to be filed in foreign patent systems for patent right protection and international visibility. The similarity between patents and translations is that both contribute to internationalization by the increasing number of worldwide patent filings and the increasing use of international patent systems (Tsai, 2007) such as Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). PCT is a 'simpler, easier, and more cost-effective' (WIPO, 2006b, p. 3) way by filing one international patent in one language. The language used in the application should be acceptable to the receiving office or else translations of the application documents should be provided.

Translating patent documents into one of the publication languages enhances the effectiveness of processing applications in both the international and national phases. You can use language translation software or automated translation program The improved search environments enable patent Offices and International Searching Authorities to easily access patent documentations for patentability evaluation of the invention. Translations of patent application documents further foster visibility by disseminating information to a wider readership throughout the world. The published international application thus serves as both a legal document that specifies rights protected in the Contracting States, and an information source that introduces new technology (Tsai, 2008).