Metida | Unitary Patent Translation Services

UP Services

UP Translations

What UP translations services do we offer?

Translations of Unitary Patents from English to German and English to French.

Relevance:

One of the upcoming UP services – translations. If you seek to grant a patent in French or German, it requires an English translation of the full specification. Those presented in English will need a complete translation into any language of the EU. However, you will need such a translation for a transitional period (of up to twelve years) while also being required for information only, without legal effect.

Translation of Unitary Patents into EPO languages

Before they grant the application, you must file a translation of any claims in the other two EPO languages. If the language in which the proceedings are taking place is English, then the translations must be into French and German. Elsewise, if you use German in the proceedings, the translations must be into English and French. That means you need to select one of those other two EPO languages for a translation. Additionally, you must translate only the description. Meanwhile, you may use identical claims translations to file a unitary patent request.

Reuse of translation

There can be cases where one uses English in the proceedings, and the patent proprietor chooses to file a specification translation into an official EU language that does not include French or German. Then it will often be possible to revert to an application one filed in connection with a national patent office. Also, they will be able to adapt that translation to its current needs.

Compensation for translation costs

The applicant must have filed their European patent application in an official EU language other than English, German, or French to be eligible.

You can seek compensation for translation costs. It is available for:

small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),
private individuals (often referred to as so-called ‘natural persons’),
non-profit organizations,
universities,
public research organizations.

All of those must be located within an EU member state. The public research organizations must also have a principal place of residence (for private individuals) or a principal place of business (for all remaining categories of applicants).

Timing/order:

Clients should contact us for UP translation service when their EP is still in the application phase.
The correct time to apply is before the grant of such an application. Under exceptional circumstances – after it has a very recent grant. That is because the validity period for the unitary effect is somewhat short. It is only the length of a single month. You will need to file a full translation alongside the request.