How does the USPTO handle non-English language prior art documents?
The USPTO handles non-English language prior art documents as follows:
- Examiners may rely on a machine translation or a translation provided by an applicant to determine the content of non-English language prior art.
- If the document is in a language the examiner understands, they may use their own translation.
- For documents of particular relevance, the examiner may request a human translation from the Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC).
As stated in MPEP 901.05(d): “If the examiner believes that a machine translation or translation submitted by an applicant is not accurate, the examiner should obtain a human translation from STIC.”
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