Introduction into bio-medical and pharmaceutical patent translation – challenges, tips and pitfalls for translators
In the United States alone, over 800 patents are granted on average per day, with many more being filed, according to recent trends, and more than half are of foreign origin. Patent laws are vital to economic growth and human innovation; they guarantee an inventor the exclusive right to sell and profit from his or her product for a set amount of time, which is often what makes the investments involved in researching and creating it possible. An analysis of industry, government, and academic sources shows that the patent application process is highly detailed and often complex to translate. The language used for intellectual property follows strict rules that must be observed in order to avoid any possible ambiguities that might challenge the validity of patent claims. Otherwise, with room left for interpretation of the patent’s subject matter, the novelty or obviousness of the invention may be challenged by opposing parties. For the translator transitioning between source and target language the rules of patent language often change and must be accounted for in order to permit successful patent application in other countries’ respective languages. Further complications can arise when translations take place between languages with opposing directions and/or between Romanized, non-Romanized and non-alphabetic languages. Alternating between target and source language segments, often necessary for embedding literature reference, chemical, physical, mathematical formulas, etc. can lead to unexpected complications, particularly when working with computer assisted translation tools or machine translation. Apart from these technical challenges, the translator must often deal with practical challenges when dealing with client’s that may put additional strains on deadlines.
This presentation will provide a general introduction into the world of intellectual property and its translation. Rules to be followed will be outlined and technical as well as practical hints provided for the individual translator working in this field or interested in getting introduced.
Objectives of presentation – Stay tuned for detailed announcement:
- General introduction to the world of intellectual property and trademarks.
- Examples from the fields of pharmaceutical and engineering patents.
- Challenges in patent translation resulting from differences between source and target languages; ambiguities in meanings between closely related languages; left-to-right vs. right-to-left language issues; Romanized vs. non-Romanized languages; etc.
- The future for patent translation with the increasing role of MT, and the use of TM and glossaries created in CAT tools.
- General advantages and disadvantages of using MT for patents.
- Opportunities patent translation provides to translators new to the field. Advantages for medical translators and interpreters entering the field.
- Dealing with clients – large agencies or direct (end user) clients: deadlines, clients’ requests for using MT, QA, back translation. Methods for how to solve these issues while keeping clients happy and in-house costs and/or time expenditures reasonable.
An analysis of industry, government, and academic sources shows that the patent application process is highly detailed and often complex to translate. The language used for intellectual property follows strict rules that must be observed in order to avoid any possible ambiguities that might challenge the validity of patent claims. Otherwise, with room left for interpretation of the patent’s subject matter, the novelty or obviousness of the invention may be challenged by opposing parties. For the translator transitioning between source and target language the rules of patent language often change and must be accounted for in order to permit successful patent application in other countries’ respective languages. Further complications can arise when translations take place between languages with opposing directions and/or between Romanized, non-Romanized and non-alphabetic languages. Alternating between target and source language segments, often necessary for embedding literature reference, chemical, physical, mathematical formulas, etc. can lead to unexpected complications, particularly when working with computer assisted translation tools or machine translation.
- Identify and relate to typical challenges in patent translation resulting from differences between source and target languages; ambiguities in meanings between closely related languages
- assess opportunities patent translation provides to translators new to the field and value the advantages medical translators and interpreters have entering the field
- utilize patent translation while employing MT, and the use of TM and glossaries created in CAT tools.
