Discover our multistep approach to patent translation, ensuring quality and accuracy. Safeguard your intellectual property with expert language services.
Translating patents is a complex, multistep process that demands precision, confidentiality, and adherence to industry standards. Every detail matters when protecting intellectual property across languages and borders.
In this overview, we’ll walk you through our approach, highlighting how each step is crafted to ensure every translation is accurate and purpose-fit. Let’s dive into our patent translation process!
Quality Standards Matter
Our process aligns with ISO 17100, a certification defining quality management for translation providers, and ISO 18587, which governs the post-editing of machine translation output.
These standards ensure we deliver translations with two core guarantees:
1. Qualified linguists
Our translators and editors meet one or more of the following qualifications:
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- A degree in translation from a recognized institution
- A degree in a related field, plus a minimum of two years of documented translation experience
- At least five years of experience in translation for specialists in other fields
This variety of backgrounds allows us to assemble a team suited to your project’s specific needs, whether it requires science, technology, or law expertise.
2. Four-eyes check
Every translation project undergoes a dual process: an initial translation phase, followed by a revision. In the review stage, a second linguist examines the translated content against the original to catch any potential errors, such as omissions, inconsistencies, or issues with style and grammar.
Core Resources for Patent Translation
To streamline workflows and boost efficiency in patent projects, we use a range of technological tools, including
- Project management system.
We use a platform (XTRF) that helps us manage project timelines and track progress. It handles everything from your initial requests and instructions to recording the results of quality control assessments, all the way through to post-delivery follow-up.
- Specialized translation resources.
We provide our linguists access to top-tier paid translation resources like COSNAUTAS for medical terminology and a range of technical dictionaries. We ensure they have the most reliable terms at their fingertips.
- Quality control software.
- Xbench serves as both a terminology manager and quality control tool, allowing us to cross-check terminology from various sources and catch potential inconsistencies.
- Microsoft Office supports additional spell-checks and formatting, ensuring the final document is polished and ready for delivery.
The Step-by-Step Process of Translating a Patent
1. Project initiation: Our production team logs your request in our project management system, taking note of the specific technical field (e.g., mechanics, IT, medical devices, chemistry, legal). They then assign the project to a translator and a separate reviser with expertise in that area.
2. Translator acceptance: The translator receives a project notification, reviews the requirements and deadline, then confirms availability or suggests timeline adjustments.
3. Technical preparation: Our technical team preps your files and converts them into an editable format. This enables processing with various tools, including those for automated quality control, and ensures we can return the final file in its original format.
It’s important, however, that you provide clear, readable files—particularly for patent drawings. Otherwise, we may need to ask for a clearer set of images to keep the translation accurate and on schedule.
4. Translation and revision: Our linguists start by translating the content, ensuring accuracy and consistency with the project’s requirements. Following this, a detailed revision is carried out to refine the translation.
5. Terminology and consistency checks: Translators use client-provided glossaries, and style guides to ensure that the terminology aligns with both your standards and industry norms.
Feel free to share any reference materials, such as internal glossaries or terminology guides, that your team uses. This can be especially helpful if you have unique acronyms or industry-specific terms.
6. Quality Assurance: The translation undergoes extensive quality checks:
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- Self-correction for sensitive sections of the patent translation, including the title, claims, abstract, and drawings.
- Spell-check in Microsoft Word.
- Quality control in Xbench.
7. Final checks and notes: For additional quality assurance, we document any special considerations, such as ambiguous terms or contextual clarifications.
But beyond that, we take it one step further. As we work, we keep an eye out for any potential issues in the original text—such as spelling mistakes, formatting inconsistencies, or unclear language.
If we spot anything that might affect the final translation, we include it in our notes and reach out to discuss it with you. This proactive approach shows our commitment to your project and ensures we’re aligned at every step.
8. Communication and follow-up: We maintain ongoing communication with fellow linguists for support and feedback, as well as with the production team and with you, addressing any questions throughout the translation process and after delivery.
Our commitment to precision and quality guarantees that your patent translations are accurate and reliable. By using cutting-edge tools and relying on expert linguists, we safeguard your intellectual property every step of the way.
Trust us to deliver translations that consistently meet the highest standards. If you’re ready to get started or have any questions, feel free to contact us!
