Google to translate EPO documents
Google will provide the European Patent Office (EPO) with machine translation technology, allowing the office to translate patents into the languages of the 38 states that it serves.
The EPO and Google signed a memorandum of understanding on November 30. In return for using Google translation technology, the EPO will provide Google with access to its manually translated patents.
Benoît Battistelli, president of the EPO, said the partnership with Google will help inventors, engineers, and research and development teams to retrieve “relevant documents efficiently—in their own language—from our wealth of published patent information”.
As it stands, applicants for a European patent must apply in one of the EPO’s official languages— English, French and German—and then translate their applications into the languages of all countries in which the patent would apply.
He added: “Both partners are optimistic that they will be in the position to provide translations from English into the different EU languages—and vice versa—within two or three years. Translations from the EPO’s two other official languages will follow.”
The machine translations could affect discussions over the EU patent as differences over what should be the official languages of the pan-European patent have stalled negotiations between the EU member states. “One of the crucial barriers to the EU patent could be removed,” said Battistelli.
On top of the European patents owned by European companies, Google will also have access to patents filed by other foreign companies. This includes access to documents in Asian languages.
Google will have access to 1.5 million documents, including 50,000 new patent grants every year.
Battistelli said: “Any translation depends on the teaching of the machine by feeding it high-quality material in the relevant field of technology. [The] documents translated into the 29 languages of [the EPO’s] member states...will contribute to a much higher quality of translated patents documents compared to today.”
Each party will bear its own costs, and a formal arrangement will be signed later this year.
