Patent translation
A patent is a technical document with legal force. We translate patents with linguists who hold degrees in the technical field and know how claims language works — because scope lives in the wording.
Scope lives in the wording
A patent claim is a fence drawn in words. Every term in it either widens or narrows what you own. “Comprising” leaves the list open; “consisting of” closes it. Translate one as the other and you have moved the fence — granted yourself less protection, or claimed more than the office will allow.
This is why patent translation is unforgiving in a way general legal translation is not. The translator needs two kinds of expertise at once: enough command of the technical field to know that two words engineers use interchangeably are, in this claim, deliberately different — and enough command of patent language to know which differences carry legal weight. Machine translation has neither. It produces fluent text that quietly redraws the fence.
Double expertise, enforced by process
Patent projects at Link Translation are staffed from our sector practice groups: native-language linguists with degrees in the relevant technical field — mechanical, electrical, chemical, life sciences, software — who work on patent documents as a specialty. They translate the invention accurately because they understand it, and they translate the claims conservatively because they know what claims are for.
Process backs up the people:
- Claim-first terminology. Every term used in the claims is fixed in a term base before translation starts, then enforced through the description, drawings and abstract. Terminology drift between claims and description is a classic attack surface in opposition and litigation; we close it before it opens.
- Independent second review. A second specialist reviews every file, reading the claims against the source line by line.
- Numbers and references QA. Reference numerals, formulas, units, ranges and priority data are checked mechanically — the small errors that trigger office actions.
What we translate
- Applications for national-phase and regional filing — the translation that becomes the legal text in that country
- Granted patents and prior art for information — where speed and cost matter more than filing-grade polish, and we say so in the quote
- Office actions and responses — both directions, on examiner deadlines
- Litigation and opposition documents — expert reports, cited references, evidence
Deadlines you can build a filing program on
Patent work runs on dates that do not move: national-phase entry deadlines, office-action response windows, opposition periods. Our side of that bargain is a fixed quote with a committed delivery date within 24 hours of receiving the document, and — for multi-country filing programs — parallel translation across our network of 500+ specialists, each language pair working against the same term base and each file passing second review.
Machine translation has a legitimate role at the edges of patent work: understanding a prior-art document, triaging a competitor’s portfolio. For anything you file, a human specialist translates every word, and a second one signs off. Your claims deserve nothing looser.
Frequently asked questions
Who translates the patent — an engineer or a lawyer?
A linguist who covers both sides: a native-language translator with a degree in the technical field, trained in patent conventions and claim drafting language. A second specialist independently reviews every file, with particular attention to the claims.
What is the difference between a filing translation and an information translation?
A filing translation becomes the legal text of your patent in that country, so it gets full specialist translation and second review. An information translation — prior art, a competitor patent you need to understand — can be faster and cheaper, sometimes using machine translation with human post-editing. We quote each document for its actual purpose.
How do you keep claim terminology consistent?
Every term that appears in the claims goes into a term base before translation starts, and the same rendering is enforced through the description, drawings and abstract. If a claim says "fastening element", the description never drifts to "fixing component" — that kind of drift is what opposing counsel looks for.
Can you work to national-phase filing deadlines?
Yes. Patent work is deadline-driven and our process is built around that: a fixed quote with a committed delivery date within 24 hours, and parallel translation with second review for multi-country filing programs. Tell us the filing date and we work backwards from it.