Working with an expert patent translator – what to expect

Finding the right person or company to provide a service is no mean feat.

Their website might say all the right things, but you can never quite be sure whether they’re the right fit for you. I’ve recently been struggling to find a builder to take care of some renovation work, so I’m acutely aware of the pain!

There are many different patent translation providers out there, so how can you know which one will work for you?

In this blog post I want to tell you about how I work – to give you as much information as possible in advance so that you can decide whether I’m the patent translator for you.

Step 1: Initial contact

Firstly – congratulations on finding me! As I just mentioned, there are so many companies out there offering patent translations that knowing which way to turn can be tricky.

Now that you’ve got in touch, I won’t leave you waiting for a reply. Whether you’ve sent me an email or got in touch via LinkedIn, or even uploaded your file directly via my Contact page, I’ll always get back to you on the same day, usually within a matter of hours. I know time is often of the essence with translations and there’s no time to waste.

Step 2: Introductory call

The first thing I’ll do when you get in touch is to suggest we have a quick call. No more than 30 minutes, I promise! I want our first contact to be more than just an email with a price – I find the best way for you to decide if we’re a good match is to chat on the phone.

I’ll ask about your previous experience with patent translation services. Perhaps your pool of trusted patent translators has shrunk over the years and is now at full capacity. Or maybe you’ve had trouble with other providers and are tired of receiving inconsistent, mediocre quality (feel free to vent if this is the case!).

We’ll also talk about the technical fields you work in, the kinds of documents you usually need translating (claims, full specifications, litigation, etc.) and what you’re specifically looking for in a translation service.

Pro tip: if you want to save time, you can go right ahead and book the call yourself on Calendly. That way you’ll bypass the initial email contact and can pick a suitable time right away without any back-and-forth.

Step 3: Service options

If you’ve got in touch with a particular patent application in mind, we’ll drill down into the specifics.

I’ll check whether you need translation only or translation plus revision. Including a revision step cements the translation quality, but it will be more expensive. “Translation only” may be more suitable if cost is a particular concern, if the text is for information only or if you already have arrangements in place for reviewing translations.

I’ll ask about your deadline too. Urgent turnarounds may incur an urgency fee but it may be possible to find a deadline that works with no extra charge.

And if there’s any text that needs to be translated in the drawings, I’ll ask whether you’ll be editing the drawings yourself using my translations or whether you need me to do the DTP as well (again, this option is likely to attract an extra fee).

Click to book an introductory call with me – so that it’s not just me and the talking clock.

Step 4: Action plan

After the call, I’ll send you a summary of everything we talked about, along with an action plan for your project(s). It’ll include the different price and delivery options based on our conversation, plus information about the next steps. If you’re happy with my proposal, you can accept via email or phone.

As standard, proposals – particularly deadlines – will be valid for one week from the date of the action plan. But don’t worry if you need longer to decide, for example if you need management approval first – we can work out a new deadline whenever you’re able to give the translation the green light.

Step 5: Pre-translation discussions

Wording preferences

While the structure of patents is very formulaic, most of my clients have different specifications when it comes to terminology, claim wording or formatting. Some examples include:

• Please use articles (“a” and “the”) at the start of claims.
• Always translate “wobei” as “wherein”.
• Start the claims with “What Is Claimed Is:”.
• Do not use automatic numbering in the claims.
• Please use “as recited in Claim X” rather than “according to Claim X”.
• Avoid using “means”, e.g. “by means of”. Use alternatives such as “by way of”, “via”, “using”.

Before I start translating, I’ll ask if you too have any specifications. I can then draw up a style sheet specific to you and your clients and apply it to every project – so you won’t have to waste your valuable time harmonising each translation.

Pro tip: to save you even more time, just send me a couple of translations that you’ve previously approved and filed. I’ll analyse them and glean all that information myself.

Translator’s notes

Trust me when I say no one will read your patents more carefully than your translator. And sometimes we have no option but to check with you about issues in the original application. That’s why one of the things I ask before starting is whether you want to receive any notes before I deliver the translation or at the same time.

If I send them before delivery, for example after the first or second draft of the translation, we can potentially address any issues before the final version. But I know you might not always have time to look over my questions before delivery, so either option works for me.

I’ve heard from some clients that the thought of receiving translator’s notes fills them with dread, but don’t panic! I won’t ever send you reams of comments explaining why I’ve translated certain terms in a certain way. My notes will only ever relate to genuine issues or ambiguity in the original text. Here are some recent examples:

• This prior art reference has been translated as seen but should presumably read AT 391 398
• This sentence is incomplete as there is no verb in relation to the “Ösen/eyelets”.
• “Spannungswert ” has been translated as seen but should presumably read “Schwellwert“, i.e. “threshold value”.
• There appear to be two independent claims relating to the “Getriebe/gearing”: claim 9 and claim 12.
• This passage states that the rings have larger thicknesses in the radial direction than in the axial direction. However, judging by the claims, I think it should state that the second ring has a smaller thickness in the radial direction than in the axial direction.

Step 6: Translation!

This is the stage where you get to sit back and relax. We’ll have covered all bases in our preliminary discussions, so you can rest assured that I’ll be working hard on a translation according to your exact specifications.

I won’t bore you with the details of my translation process here, but you can find an overview on my How I Work page.

Step 7: Delivery

You’ll receive your translation back in your inbox on our agreed delivery day – if not before. As standard I deliver by email but let me know if you prefer another file transfer/upload service. For added security for your clients’ critical IP, I can password-protect the translation too.

Along with the translation, I’ll send any notes and translated drawings and my invoice (payment terms: 30 days). I usually send an invoice with each project, but if we start working together regularly, I can save you some admin by sending one a month listing all the projects from that month.

Step 8: Feedback/comments

Feedback is an essential part of any service. And patent translations are no different. That’s why I’ll always ask you to let me know if you have any comments or queries about the translation. I’ll mention it in my delivery email and will follow up a week or so later to give you time to review everything.

Constructive feedback is always welcome, for example if you prefer a particular English term over another. I want to make sure you get the translation you expect every time. And the added bonus of working directly with your patent translator is that you know your feedback won’t have got lost en route through intermediaries and will be implemented in all future projects.

Step 9: Repeat!

Hopefully that won’t be the end of us working together. Hopefully you’ll be happy with the quality I deliver and will trust me with other translations too. Plus the more we work together, the better I get to know your clients and their technology.

As I write this post, I’ve just celebrated two 5-year client anniversaries – firms that have worked with me regularly since I set up my freelance business in 2017. They come back to me time and again because they know they can trust me with their clients’ IP – and I hope you will too.

Summary

The way I work is aimed at laying the foundation for fruitful, long-lasting working relationships. I want to learn about your business and your clients and tailor my service to your specific situation.

I ultimately chose a builder who understood exactly what I was looking for, who really knew their craft and who explained the entire process from the get-go without me having to ask. They were the right fit for me, and I hope I’ll be the right fit for you.

So, if you need a German to English patent translator for your engineering clients, book a call with me or send me an email and we can discuss your projects.

I specialise in mechanical and electrical engineering, but do get in touch if you have clients in other fields – I have a great network of trusted patent translator colleagues in other fields who I’m always happy to recommend.