Patent translation is an exacting discipline, and regardless of what it is being used for, multiple rounds of proofing are needed to ensure an accurate outcome. But depending on whether the patent translation is needed for prior art research or for foreign filing, Morningside selects different patent translators and uses different methodology. For example, patent translations for PCT national stage entry and EP validation are translated in the target country and the QA process is overseen by local patent attorneys practicing in the field of the invention. Formatting and other requirements of the relevant patent office are strictly adhered to. Patents translated into English for research or information purposes are prepared by domestic patent translators and editors with an emphasis on clarity and comprehensibility as well as accuracy.

So the next time you request a patent translation, it’s always helpful to let us know what it will be used for. That information will help us select the most appropriate patent translator and QA workflow for the job.

For example, Argentina, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela are non-PCT countries where applicants must file directly. (Though in the case of Saudi Arabia, you can file for a  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) patent, which grants protection in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.)

Direct filing usually takes place according to the the Paris Convention, which gives applicants 12 months from the priority date to file their patent application in signatory countries and regions.  Each country has its own application procedures and requirements, which often include translating the application into one of the country’s official languages.

If you have questions about direct national filing Morningside is glad to be of assistance. We can help you file your patent directly in over 180 countries and jurisdictions.

Document translation is the easy part. First you need organize and label the documents, review them to discover which are relevant to the matter, prioritize them, and then translate them.

Legal professionals usually turn to Morningside at the final stage of this process, when they have selected the documents that require translation and are ready to roll. But Morningside also offers a full suite of litigation support services for foreign language documents to help you search, organize, and review them from the very beginning.

Morningside can organize and manage the documents, either remotely or on-site. Our expert linguists can sift through stacks of documents and determine which ones are relevant for the case. They can also help summarize the docs, to help you decide which ones require more expensive, word-for-word translation. Our sophisticated legal support tools can help dramatically speed up review times and lower costs.

To sum up, if your case or matter  involves thousands of foreign language documents, you don’t have to manage them all on your own. We are here to help. We can offer comprehensive solutions that take into account your budget, deadlines, and specifications. Because we know that you have enough on your plate without worrying about translations.

In the ever-evolving legal support industry, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovative, cost-effective solutions for legal translation, e-discovery, document management, and more. By meeting face-to-face with paralegals, attorneys, and other legal professionals at LegalTech, we were able to learn more about their needs and gained valuable insight into how we can better serve them.

About Morningside:

Morningside Translations specializes in document translation, legal interpretation, transcription, and other services to the legal industry at large.

Not surprisingly, The United States tops the list, with Japan and Germany coming in second and third, respectively. China and South Korea round out the top 5. This is exactly the same as in 2011. But as an Intellectual Asset Management blog points out, it’s even more interesting to look at the per capita top filers–the number of patents per person. By that measure, little Switzerland is a global leader in  patent filing, topping the list with one application for every 953 residents. This is almost twice as much as Finland, the runner-up, and much higher than the United States, which comes in 12 in this ranking with one patent per 4,861 residents.

So even though the world-famous Cuckoo Clock wasn’t invented in Switzerland (it was actually invented in Germany), Switzerland is one of the most innovative countries in the world. But of course most us will continue appreciating the Swiss most of all for the delicious truffles, pralines, and good old-fashioned chocolate bars they produce for the sweet-toothed around the world.

But translating content into 48 languages is prohibitively expensive for most small and medium-sized businesses, and using free online translation for marketing materials is a definite no-no. Luckily, there is a smart and cost-effective alternative. By translating English content into just 9 languages, you can reach 84% of global Internet users. The languages to translate into are Chinese (25% of online users), Spanish (8%), Japanese (5%), Portuguese (4%), German (4%), Arabic (3%), French (3%), Russian (3%), and Korean (2%). Add that to the 27% of English users, and you can target the vast majority of Internet users around the world, improving brand recognition and getting your message out to potential consumers around the world.

But not everyone is jumping on the unitary patent bandwagon. To begin with, 13 member states including France, Germany, and the U.K. must first ratify the new process. Setting up the new court system to oversee the patent will take time, and late 2014 or early 2015 is the earliest the new system will likely be in place. Italy and Spain will not join in, since applications must be in German, French, or English, and their languages are relegated to the list of “lesser” European languages by the new system.

But more importantly, patent attorneys are concerned that the reforms don’t really create a single patent court.  Since the new court will apply a patent owner’s national law when ruling on patent infringement cases, different standards will apply for each case and patent trolls will be able to choose the friendliest territory to launch opportunistic litigation. Finally, many large companies–like pharmaceutical companies–that would be mostly likely to use the new system since they validate their patents widely across Europe will be nervous about taking the risk of relying on a brand new system that has not yet been tested in court.

The EU unitary patent will mean big changes for patent owner’s  and patent attorneys not just in Europe but around the world. We will continue updating you on this issue and how it will affect both EU patent validation as well as patent translation for the EU in future blog posts.

The BEST way to reach us for the time being is via email at translations@morningtrans.com. You can also submit new projects via our website by clicking here. All new requests will be handled promptly. We will of course update you as soon as things are back to normal.

We are all in good health and want to thank all of our clients for your kind wishes and concern over the past several days. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the storm, to the families and loved ones who have been personally impacted. If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund you can do so by clicking here.