The Engineer

EPO signs patent translation deal with Google

News

The European Patent Office (EPO) has signed a deal with Google that will see the EPO use Google’s machine translation technology to translate patents into the languages of the 38 countries that it serves.

In return, it will provide Google with access to its translated patents, enabling Google to optimise its machine translation technology. Google technology will be used to translate patents originating in Europe, as well as those originating in other regions of the world that enjoy protection in Europe.

The collaboration aims to offer faster translations of patents for companies, inventors and scientists in Europe. Today, anyone wishing to register a patent must do so in one of the EPO’s official languages − English, French and German. They then need to arrange for translation of the patent − at their own cost − into the languages of all countries in which they wish the patent to apply.

This complexity means that many European patents are not available in all national languages or legally binding in all the EPO’s member states. Similarly, anyone searching for information in patents published in foreign languages finds it difficult to retrieve data that is relevant to their research projects.

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address