What is the purpose of MPEP 901.05(d) – Translation?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

MPEP 901.05(d) – Translation provides guidance on handling foreign language prior art documents in patent examination. Its main purposes are:

• To ensure examiners can access and understand relevant prior art in foreign languages
• To outline procedures for obtaining translations of foreign documents
• To clarify when machine translations are acceptable for use in patent examination

As stated in the MPEP, “Examiners should review the submitted translation of a foreign language document to determine whether the translation is sufficient to understand the foreign document for purposes of applying it as prior art.“