The translation industry has expanded for the better. There are new facets of this industry every day. Every business, company, and vendor has to acquire translation services to expand and perform in a global market. The ongoing digital advancements have made the world excel in a better way and have also made it convenient for businesses to function in a global entity that no longer relies on geographical boundaries. Every industry and field requires translation services to excel overseas regardless of the niche. Intellectual property refers to an asset that is copyrighted. This belongs to a certain person who has its manuscript or design and innovation.
IP is everything that a human mind creates and is entitled to save and protect these from scammers. There could be different IP laws in different countries. It is related to legal and complex translations. Only trained linguists and translators who are native speakers with a profound knowledge of the IP content and legalities can deal with the IP translation services. It is a relatively new domain of translation and many new setups have reservations about these. Therefore, it is important that you, as a business, have a lawyer onboard who can go through all the content before signing a deal for the IP translation.
The protection of intellectual property overseas can pose different challenges as every country works with different laws and regulations. Moreover, these also require translation into the relevant official languages. It demands accuracy, consistency, and precision with fair knowledge of the legal content and an understanding of the cultural nuances.
Therefore, here are a few of the key concerns that you should consider before getting on board for IP translation.
- What is an IP?
First of all your chosen translation vendor and the team of translators should have the relevant knowledge, and they should be subject matter experts. Intellectual property implies the creation and innovation of the mind. This may add literary and artistic work with designs, symbols, and other images. This can also be about your writings and books you have authored. The translators who are translating your work in the USA should know that they protect IP by law. Patents, trademarks, and copyrights are protected so that people can earn the due recognition for their creations.
Three major types of intellectual property are
Trademarks
A trademark is a sign that helps you distinguish the distribution of the products and goods from other goods produced by different companies. This practice goes centuries back when people used their signatures as their trademark to make their goods easily identifiable.
Patents
The patent addresses the right of a patent owner about how and whether he wants others to use his invention and IP. Many owners get to work with others to get recognition and many others like to work silently. Therefore, these creative souls are the ones to decide about the use of their creativity. Moreover, only they own the right to further allow people to use their intellectual assets.
Copyright
Copyright is the term they have coined legally to state the legal rights of the creators over their creations. These could be either their literary or artistic work. The works that get covered by copyrights mainly contain books, music, films, paintings, ads, and software among others.
- Legal specificity
Not only the knowledge of the subject itself but the translators and you as a business must know how it relates to the legal clauses. A sound knowledge of frequently used legal terms can save you from many ambiguities. It can foster a better relationship between you and your translation vendor leading to transparent IP translation services. Familiarity with the relevant laws and regulations across the regions can also help to stay one step ahead of your rivals and competitors.
- Cultural appropriateness
Cultural sensitivity is the main crux of every type of translation and when it comes to patents, copyrights, and legal text, it gets crucial. The translations need to be technically accurate and reflect a transparent message and function about IP. All the examples, events, and narrations should be culturally coherent and appropriate according to the market norms of your intended region. Legal accuracy as per the practices of the targeted market is a must to avoid deadly mistakes and misinterpretations.
- Confidentiality and security
Confidentiality is what comes with the translation package. It is the primary right of every customer and company to expect confidentiality and data security. However, there are many translation vendors, and if you are working with freelance translators who do not pay heed to the sensitivity of the legal content and share the content just randomly. You need to make sure that you address this issue in advance and speak to your vendor to strictly follow data protection rights. The protection of the IP information which is often sensitive and confidential is extremely important throughout the translation process. A non-closure agreement should also be signed if needed.
- Knowledge of IPE
International intellectual property enforcement also known as IPE, advocates for the protection and enforcement of IP rights all across the globe. The US Department of State governs it. The translators or translation agencies can not yield accurate translations without this proper familiarity with the content and laws. They should be clear with the relevant bodies and authorities working for intellectual rights and their protection. Integrating the translations with the information of relevant organizations can make it more impactful and can help with delivering professional translation services.
Conclusion
IP translation can be a complex topic to deal with. It is imperative to hire professionals for this type of translation to avoid hassles and inaccuracies. Moreover, it is also important for businesses to understand this topic and the sensitivities that come with this subject. They should ensure their translation agency and the team of translators understand certain factors before they embark on the journey of IP translation.
