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…
Read MoreWhat is the Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) role in patent translations?
The Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) plays a crucial role in providing human translations for patent examiners when dealing with non-English language prior art. According to 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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