Patent applications, technical claims, and IP documentation — precision required.

Patent translation is one of the areas where translation error has a direct financial consequence. The claims section of a patent defines the scope of protection. A mistranslation that broadens or narrows a claim changes what the patent actually covers. A translation that uses inconsistent terminology creates ambiguity that can be exploited in opposition proceedings. This is not a theoretical risk — it happens, and it is expensive.

We assign patent translation exclusively to translators with technical backgrounds in the relevant field. Electronics patents go to electrical engineers with translation expertise. Chemical patents go to chemists. Agricultural technology patents go to someone who understands both agronomy and the patent claims format.

Beyond technical accuracy, patent translation requires familiarity with the legal structure of patent documents. The claims section, the description, the drawings, and the abstract each have different conventions in different jurisdictions. We understand the European Patent Office format, the PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) requirements, and the Italian national patent office conventions.

We work with individual inventors, small businesses, and law firms managing patent portfolios for clients. For ongoing IP matters, we provide consistent terminology management across all documents in a patent family.

In practice

Common questions