Certified Patent Translation: Why It Costs 30% More?

Patent translation refers to the process of converting patent documents from one language into another. It plays a pivotal role in safeguarding intellectual property (IP) rights and facilitating international communication.

Translation Scope

The content covered in patent translation includes patent specifications, claims, abstracts, and descriptions of drawings. These documents encapsulate crucial information such as the technical details of the invention or creation and the scope of legal protection. For instance, a patent specification provides a detailed account of the technical field of the invention, the background technology, the content of the invention, descriptions of drawings, and specific modes of implementation, ensuring that professionals in the field can comprehend and implement the invention.

The 30% Premium for Certified Patent Translation

Certified patent translation commands a 30% premium, primarily due to the multi-dimensional cost factors associated with legal compliance, as outlined below:

Stringent Translator Qualifications: Patent translation demands translators with profound expertise. They must not only be proficient in both the source and target languages but also familiar with the relevant technical fields and legal knowledge such as patent law. For example, reputable patent translation companies typically employ translators with both technical degrees and legal qualifications to ensure precise terminology and compliance with patent law requirements. 

Rigorous Review and Proofreading Processes: To guarantee the accuracy and legal compliance of translations, certified patent translation often employs stringent review and proofreading processes, such as a three-tier review mechanism of "initial translation - technical review - legal proofreading." Multiple rounds of review and proofreading require additional human and time resources to avoid any errors that might impact patent rights. Compared to ordinary translations, the extra review and proofreading steps add substantial workload, leading to higher prices.

Termbase Construction and Maintenance: Patent documents are replete with specialized terminology and specific vocabulary. To ensure consistency and accuracy in translation, translation agencies need to establish and maintain specialized termbases. The construction of termbases involves professional personnel in collecting, organizing, and updating terms, which incurs certain costs.

Legal Liability Risks: The quality of certified patent translation directly affects the rights and legal responsibilities of patent applicants. Errors or inaccuracies in translation may result in patent application rejections, compromised patent rights, or even legal disputes. Translation agencies face significant legal liability risks and thus raise prices to cover potential risk costs. To mitigate risks, translation agencies may also need to purchase professional liability insurance, which adds to operational costs and drives up translation prices.

Compliance with Specific Regulations and Standards: Different countries and regions have specific regulations and standards for the translation of patent documents, such as formatting, language expression, and citation norms. Certified patent translation must ensure that the translated text fully complies with these regulations and standards, requiring translators to invest more time and effort in researching and adhering to them.

Artlangs Translation's Professional Strengths

Seasoned Translation Team

Artlangs Translation Company boasts a team of global senior translation experts. They are not only proficient in multiple languages but also possess profound expertise and rich experience in the patent field. Whether it's an invention patent, utility model patent, or design patent, we can provide you with the most professional translation services.

Comprehensive Termbase

We fully understand the importance of terminology accuracy in patent translation. Therefore, we have established a comprehensive patent termbase and continuously update and optimize it. This ensures that we can accurately understand and apply professional terminology during the translation process, enhancing translation quality and efficiency.

Stringent Quality Control

Artlangs Translation Company strictly adheres to the ISO9001 quality management standard and employs a translation process of "one translation, two revisions, three proofreadings, and four reviews" to ensure the accuracy and fluency of every translated text. Our quality control team meticulously reviews and proofreads the translations to ensure that the final delivered text meets the expectations and requirements of our clients.

Multilingual Services

We offer patent translation services in over a dozen languages, including English, French, Japanese, Russian, German, and Korean, to meet your patent application needs in different countries and regions. No matter where your target market is, Artlangs Translation can provide you with the most professional translation support.