• RWS Group wins Queen’s Award for fourth time
• RWS expands presence in the USA
• £2.1m Acquisition of CommuniCare Limited
• RWS Holdings plc acquires German technical translations provider – DSC
• RWS Group - helping the patent process in China
• RWS launches Pro Bono Translation Scheme
• RWS Group expands its IP translation, filing and search services in the U.S.
• RWS Group opens IP Office in Beijing
• RWS Holdings plc acquires Eclipse Translations Limited
• RWS Group receives Queen's Award
• RWS and Minesoft add over 10 million full-text patent documents to PatBase.
• Stolperstein XML (Arzneimittelzeitung 6/2003)
• RWS translation skills boost Farnell’s export drive
• The future of patent translation in Japan.
  Discussion of the influence of a stagnant economy and international patent harmonization on patent translation in Japan. Published in "Interpretation/Translation Journal" March 2003.
• Patent Translations
  5 questions and answers about becoming a patent translator. Published in "Amelia" (translation school magazine), April 2003.
• RWS Group acquires AD-EX Translations Limited
• Patent monitoring can reveal vital engineering intelligence
• Intellectual Property Search in the electronic age
• Don't get lost in translation
• New pan-European patent alliance
• "Too high" EPO and EU patent cost guide may deter applications

RWS Group wins Queen’s Award for fourth time

It has just been announced that the RWS Group, the specialist patent and technical translation, and patent search company, with its headquarters in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2009. 

The Award will be presented by the Queen’s local representative at a special ceremony in due course.

This is the fourth time that the company has won this award – the previous three being in 1987, 1994 and 2004.

The RWS Group has been trading since 1982 and is the UK market leader in its field, employing 465 staff worldwide.  Approximately 70% of its business is translating patents. The balance comes from technical translation and localisation services to the engineering, electronics, pharmaceutical, chemical, legal and financial industries, and from patent searches and PatBase – an online patent database. 

It has more than doubled its overseas earnings during the past six years, and in 2008 earned £36.5M from international trading (86% of total earnings) - its five most important markets being Germany, France, USA, Sweden and Switzerland. 

RWS employs over 100 translators and patent searchers whose first degree is in the sciences.

The Group also has offices in France, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, China and the USA.

Commenting upon achieving the award Andrew Brode, RWS Group Chairman said:

“It is pleasing to be recognized once again for the continuing contribution we make to helping companies with their business activities across the world.  This award also acknowledges the dedication of our staff, not just in the UK but also in our offices in Europe, Japan, China and the USA.” 

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Increasing demand for RWS patent services in the US has led to us reinforcing our sales presence in North America. Keith Patterson has been appointed as Senior Account Executive for the Midwest territory.

With a BS in electrical engineering and an MS in Industrial Management, Keith has many years’ experience in the computer and medical equipment industry, including 17 years’ sales and strategic account management with NERAC Inc of Connecticut.

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£2.1m Acquisition of CommuniCare Limited

RWS Holdings plc, is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Communicare Limited for a cash consideration of £2.1 million.

The acquisition is in line with RWS' stated strategy to complement organic growth by deploying the Group's cash resources for selective acquisitions which have demonstrable growth prospects and enhance shareholder value.

Communicare specialises in providing high quality translations for the medical and pharmaceutical industries (drug and medical device manufacturers, life sciences companies and particularly contract research organisations).  The company was founded in London in 1990 and employs 15 people.  Customers are based primarily in the UK , Europe and North America .

Communicare's latest financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008 show turnover of £2.2 million and adjusted profit before tax of £591,000. Net assets acquired were less than £100,000. The acquisition will be immediately earnings enhancing.

Andrew Brode, Executive Chairman of RWS commented:

"We are pleased to have acquired Communicare which, in line with our acquisition strategy, is an attractive business with good organic growth prospects and will be immediately earnings enhancing. It will further strengthen our position as Europe 's leading technical translation provider by consolidating our market share in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

We look forward to growing the business with the benefit of the Group's infrastructure and marketing resources, whilst also  capitalising on cross selling opportunities across a broadened client base."

RWS Holdings plc ("RWS"), Europe's leading provider of intellectual property support services (patent translations and technical searches) and technical translations, is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Document Service Center Technische Uebersetzungen und Software-Lokalisierung GmbH ("DSC") for a cash consideration of £6.8 million, to include DSC's net cash of £1 million.

The acquisition is in line with RWS's stated strategy to complement organic growth by deploying the Group's cash resources for selective acquisitions which have demonstrable growth prospects and enhance shareholder value.

DSC is a leading German provider of technical translations to a broad base of German and Swiss corporates including SAP, Daimler, and Grundig. Founded in 1996, it has approximately 40 employees based in Berlin and it will be fully integrated with RWS's existing German operations in Berlin , providing some synergies as well as critical mass in its target markets.

DSC's latest financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2007 show net assets of £1.1 million, turnover of £4.1 million and adjusted EBIT of £1.9 million. The acquisition will be immediately earnings enhancing.

Andrew Brode, Executive Chairman of RWS commented:

“We are pleased to have acquired DSC which, in line with our acquisition strategy, is an attractive business with good organic growth prospects which will be immediately earnings enhancing and will strengthen our position as Europe 's leading translation provider.

“We look forward to growing the business within the RWS group, consolidating our position in Berlin and capitalising on cross selling opportunities across a broadened client base.”

For many companies seeking to protect their IP rights, the acts of patent translation, filing and searching in China may seem a daunting prospect, especially in a country where the complexities of the language and culture can be quite overwhelming.

Founded more than 45 years ago, the RWS Group is helping to simplify the process. RWS employs 370 staff and is Europe 's leading provider of intellectual property support services.

When it recognised that the demand for IP services in China was increasing, the Group took the decision to expand its worldwide network and established a subsidiary company in Beijing last year. This new facility enables RWS to offer companies around the world a cost-effective, local resource for patent translations, filing and patent searching.

The Beijing office is headed by former UK and Chinese patent attorney Weimin Zhang, who has more than 20 years' experience as a professional translator and has even patented several inventions himself.

Acknowledging China 's bureaucratic hurdles, Weimin said: “With our in-depth understanding of how business operates in China , having IP experts on the ground in Beijing gives clients a clear competitive advantage when implementing their China IP strategy.”

One of RWS' key offerings is its “translate and file” service. Modelled on its similar, highly successful Japanese service, they provide expert Chinese patent translations produced in a format ready for filing at the Chinese Patent Office.

Translations are prepared by qualified, subject-specialists in China . These translators are carefully vetted for competence and the technical knowledge required for each patent assignment. Rates are below the average Chinese patent attorney translation charges – and there are no added typing fees.

RWS can also offer a patent filing service for patents they have translated. It has formed strategic alliances with several reputable Chinese attorney firms. These give special reduced filing rates for applicants introduced by RWS.

The new China office has benefited RWS' Information Division as well. Multinational companies can no longer ignore the patent rights published and registered in China by local and foreign industry. The need for expert patent searching in China is increasing relentlessly with only a few existing suppliers struggling to meet the demand. RWS has strengthened the Chinese coverage in its PatBase® patent database, and can now offer in-country Chinese searching to its international clientele.

For more information: RWS Group, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square , London WC1H 9LG (020 7554 5400; www.rws.com)

The legal translation team at RWS has launched a Pro Bono Translation Scheme. By sending us paid work during the year, legal practices can build up credit which will contribute to the cost of translating documents for their Pro Bono cases. Depending on the amount of credit raised, the translations could even be free of charge.

The more paid work we translate for a practice, the more credit will be added to their Pro Bono Translation Fund. And once the Fund reaches an agreed threshold, RWS will double the credit.

Our expert legal translators are experienced in all forms of legal documentation. Quality procedures ensure each translated document is subject to rigorous independent in-house checking before dispatch. Our Pro Bono translation work will be subject to these same strict procedures.

To discover more about our Pro Bono Translation Scheme, please email Cathy Taylor or call on 01753 277214.

Patent translation, filing and search specialists RWS Group has appointed two new Business Development Managers to further develop the company's Intellectual Property business across the U.S. in the business, financial, legal and scientific sectors.

Deborah Collins was most recently Director of Legal Services for Thomson Scientific, formerly Thomson Dialog, specializing in IP content. She brings a total of 15 years experience in the online IP and related online information industry with her. Deborah is heading up the RWS New York Office.

Julie Watters, a member of the California Bar since 1991, most recently was the Firmwide Patent Resources Librarian for Morrison & Foerster LLP and the Library Manager for its Palo Alto office. She brings a total of 13 years of experience in the online IP and related online information industry with her. Julie is heading up the new RWS office in San Francisco.

Deborah Collins, RWS Group East Coast, 11 Broadway, New York 10004. Tel: 212 809 2416, fax: 212 422 6877. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Julie Watters, RWS Group West Coast, 44 Montgomery Street., Suite 2500 , San Francisco , CA 94104 . Tel: 415 391 2199, fax: 415 391 2689. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Due to the increasing importance of Intellectual Property protection in China , leading IP translation and information company RWS Group has opened an office in Beijing and establishing a wholly-owned Chinese subsidiary company.

Headed by former UK and Chinese patent attorney Weimin Zhang, this new facility enables RWS to offer companies around the world a cost-effective, local resource for patent translations, filing and searching.

Patent translations for filing purposes
RWS can provide expert Chinese patent translations in a format ready for filing at the Chinese Patent Office at highly competitive rates, with no added typing fees. Translations are prepared by qualified, subject-specialists in China . If required, they can also arrange filing through their associate Chinese patent agents at discounted costs.

Patent information
RWS' extensive internal patent database collections together with their Beijing office and network of local associates also enables them to provide clients with detailed Chinese patent information. Services include searches, watches, file inspections and status reports.

RWS has also produced a Top Chinese patent filers report; for a free copy please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

RWS Holdings plc is pleased to announce the acquisition of Eclipse Translations Limited.

Eclipse, based in Alnwick, Northumberland, operates from purpose-built secure offices, cleared for highly secret Government work, and is a leading translator in the Medical and Defence sectors. Key contractual clients include the MOD, UK Hydrographic Office and Eurojust.

Eclipse will provide RWS with secure long-term contracts and a profitable expansion of its non patent business.

Andrew Brode, Executive Chairman of RWS said:

"We are pleased to be adding the cost competitive Eclipse brand and its excellent team to our Group. This acquisition will be immediately earnings enhancing and will further underline RWS' position as Europe 's leading technical translations provider."

The RWS Group has received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2004.

This is the third time that the company has won this award – the previous two being in 1987 and 1994.

RWS is the UK market leader in its field, employing 325 staff worldwide.

Approximately 87% of its business is translating patents. The balance comes from technical translation and localisation services to the engineering, electronics, pharmaceutical, chemical, legal and financial industries, and from patent and trademark searches.

It has more than doubled its overseas earnings during the past six years, and in 2003 earned £18m from international trading - its five most important markets being Germany, USA, France, Sweden and Belgium.

Commenting upon receiving the award, Andrew Brode - RWS Group Chairman - said:

“It’s pleasing to be recognised once again for the contribution we make in helping the business activities of companies across the world. This award is also a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff in the UK and in our offices in Europe, Japan and the USA.”

Over 10 million f ull-text patent documents published around the world are now available in PatBase , with more being added daily.

PatBase is the world's largest commercial ly-available database of patent informatio n, cover ing over 75 patent-issuing authorities and organised conveniently into patent families.

Searchable full-text from US, EP, PCT, GB and FR patent-issuing authorities has been grouped into existing patent families for comfort, speed and ease of retrieval. Viewing is enhanced in PatBase by advanced keyword-in-context features, including displaying concise, hyper-linked hit maps and multi-colour highlighting.

Keywords can be searched in any or all text sections of a patent document. Enhancing keyword searching, US, European and International Patent Classifications are added routinely and updated in PatBase. Major countries are added to the database on their day of publication, making PatBase the ideal partner for competitive intelligence monitoring services.

The ultra-modern patent searching interface has been expanded to cater for full text search , image viewing and retrieval . Integrated links enable examina tion of legal status, leading patent registers, copies of original patents in pdf format, as well as providing a range of professional patent information services including File Wrappers and Translations of patent documents etc.

PatBase is available for unlimited use by annual subscription for single or multiple end users , and is now offered for trial.

PatBase was launched in 2003 by Minesoft in partnership with RWS . Covering over 28 million patent families worldwide , i t has been designed for ease-of-use for non-patent professionals to search and retrieve documents, as well as providing a powerful patent project management tool for professional searchers.

Further information and demonstration is available at http://www.patbase.com

Hoffnungen auf die internationale Harmonisierung von Arzneimittelzulassungen könnten an der Komplexität des Übersetzungsprozesses scheitern. Zur Übersetzung in teilweise 20 und mehr Sprachen bei hoher medizinischer Fachkompetenz, kommt nun darüber hinaus eine weitere und rein technische Seite – XML.

Die Industrie hegt mit ihren Plänen gute Absichten. Die International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH – Internationale Konferenz zur Harmonisierung der technischen Anforderungen für die Zulassung von Humanarzneimitteln) arbeitet zur Zeit mit den gesetzgeberischen Instanzen Europas, der USA und Japans sowie mit Experten aus der Industrie zusammen, um eine größere Harmonisierung in der Entwicklung neuer Heilmittel zu erreichen. Einer der entscheidenden ersten Schritte für die Zulassung neuer Arzneimittel bei nationalen Gremien und supranationalen Organisationen wie der EMEA, sind klinische Versuche.

Die ICH plant XML (eXtensible Mark-up Language) – eine Computersprache wie HTML, die jedoch flexibler ist – als Basis zu benutzen. Mit XML könnten eingereichte Wortlaute und Daten sowohl innerhalb eines einzelnen klinischen Versuchs wie auch für andere Anmeldungen wieder zur Anwendung gelangen. Dies bedeutet, dass Wortlaute oder Daten, die einmal benutzt und von den gesetzgeberischen Instanzen geprüft worden sind, wieder in einem anderen Zusammenhang ohne erneute Prüfung verwendet werden könnten.

Nach den Plänen der ICH müssten die Unternehmen zur Zulassung eines neuen Arzneimittels nur noch ein einziges einheitliches Dossier einreichen und nicht mehr drei, mit jeweils unterschiedlichen Kriterien. Schon jetzt ist klar, dass dies mit großen Schwierigkeiten verbunden ist. Während verschiedene regionale Anforderungen eingehalten und angewandt werden müssen, gibt es immer noch signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den verschiedenen Pharmakopöen. Darüber hinaus stimmen einige Definitionen nicht überein.

Dazu kommen nun die XML - Basisdokumente. Diese wurden für die englische Sprache von Personen mit einem eingeschränkten Verständnis darüber konzipiert, wie sich Sprachen in ihrer Struktur und Anwendung unterscheiden. Im Englischen werden beispielsweise häufig adjektivische Substantive wie „Marketing Authorisation holder“ verwendet, die sehr wahrscheinlich wieder in derselben Form angewandt werden. In anderen Sprachen wie Französisch oder Italienisch können die Wörter durch Präpositionen getrennt oder wie im Polnischen oder Deutschen gebeugt werden. In vielen Sprachen kann ein Symptom auf zwei Arten beschrieben werden – zum einen für den Fachmann, zum anderen für den Laien. In Französisch können Kopfschmerzen für den Fachmann als „céphalée“ und im allgemeinen Sprachgebrauch als „mal de tête“ bezeichnet werden.

In Mitten dieses Verfahrens steht der Fachübersetzer, der neben der Erfahrung mit medizinischen und pharmazeutischen Texten auch mit der benutzten Software vertraut sein muss, da diese von Kunde zu Kunde sehr unterschiedlich sein kann. Darüber hinaus müssen dem Übersetzer die vorgegebenen Anforderungen der EMEA bezüglich Formatierung, Terminologie und Nutzung von Abkürzungen geläufig sein. Er muss zudem die standardisierten Fachbegriffe des EDQM (European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines, Europäisches Direktorium für die Qualität von Arzneimitteln) verwenden können.

„Für eine typische Zulassungsabteilung, die zur Bewältigung einer solch komplexen Aufgabe entsprechende Kompetenzen und Kapazitäten aufweisen muss, kann es eine praktikable und sehr effektive Lösung sein, diese Arbeit einem spezialisierten Übersetzungsunternehmen zu überlassen.“ meint Kenan Öncer, Sprecher der RWS-Group GmbH in Berlin. „Das Teamwork Medizinischer Fachübersetzer in unterschiedlichsten Sprachkombinationen mit IT und DTP - Experten unter dem Dach eines strikten Qualitätssicherungsprozesses ist die wesentliche Ressource.“ fährt er fort.

Fakt ist, dass auf dem Wege der Harmonisierung Übersetzungsleistungen immer stärker auch eine technische Komponente enthalten, die den Bedarf an kompetenter Agenturleistung langfristig vergrößert. Ob allerdings XML der Königsweg der Zukunft sein wird bleibt abzuwarten.

Kontakt:
RWS-Group GmbH
Translation & Localisation
Nüßlerstr. 24
D-13088 Berlin
Tel. +49 30 4426000
Fax. +49 30 4428091
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.rws-group.de

The specialist technical translation division of RWS Group has recently completed the mammoth task of translating a 100,000-product catalogue for 2003 into French and German. The project was carried out for Farnell, the international marketer and distributor of electronic components and industrial products, to help the company develop its international business. With sales of £806m in 22 countries, parent company Premier Farnell is committed to developing its business globally and recognises the importance of communicating with these key markets effectively in their own languages.

In addition to the volume of work involved, translating the complex electronic and engineering terms in Farnell’s catalogue required both advanced language skills and technical expertise, to avoid costly errors. The catalogue contains products from more than a thousand suppliers, including cables and connectors, fibre optics, industrial control systems and PCs. The RWS translators involved in the project were chosen for their appropriate technical skills and expertise and worked into their native languages to ensure complete fluency and accuracy. While much of the work was completed by UK based staff, RWS made extensive use of translators in its Berlin branch, one of several regional offices in Europe and Asia.

As well as specialising in electronics and engineering, RWS Translations also has in-house expertise in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, legal and financial translations. To ensure accuracy and precision in such demanding subjects, a supervisor checks every piece of work in line with ISO 9001 quality standards.

Farnell’s Product Process Manager Keith Jackson commented: “We needed to find an organisation able to tackle the sheer volume of work, with the right level of technical appreciation and expertise, on time. As a result of RWS’s performance we would certainly involve them in any future projects of this kind.”

RWS Group is one of Europe’s leading technical translation companies with over 350 staff worldwide operating from offices in the UK, several European centres, the US and Japan.

Following its strategy of compounding existing growth by targeted acquisition, the RWS Group is pleased to announce the acquisition of Ad-Ex Translations Limited to complement its existing specialist medical translation resources.

Ad-Ex Translations, founded in 1961, counts many leading European corporations in the medical and pharmaceutical fields among its clients. It employs 14 staff and is based in Wimbledon, South London.

Andrew Brode, Chairman of RWS comments: "We are extremely pleased to welcome Ad-Ex to our Group. Their reputation, experience and client base, together with their skilled and specialist staff, will provide an excellent fit with RWS. The acquisition will allow us to offer an enhanced range of translation services to Patent, Translation and Regulatory Affairs departments within the medical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as to profit from synergies in other subject areas."

Files held on the millions of patents filed and registered throughout the world can provide invaluable commercial intelligence for businesses keen to know what is happening in their part of the engineering sector, according to Reinhard Ottway of Intellectual Property Search specialists RWS Information. Patent applications contain full details of products, methods and processes long before they reach the market, and patent files reveal which patents are about to expire, giving companies the chance to benefit from technology due to become freely available.

While many organisations are taking costly preventive measures to protect their business secrets, the world's patent files provide a legal and legitimate form of "industrial espionage". Governments in countries such as the US have changed their procedures in the past couple of years to make files more accessible and are encouraging companies to access files electronically rather than as hard copy.

Ottway explained further how the information unearthed can be used. " Businesses such as Pharmaceutical companies can spot when a drug patent is about to expire and be ready to produce and sell it at a lower cost. While patents provide legitimate protection for companies to recover R & D costs, it's perfectly fair for others to market these products once the patent has expired. Medicines whose development costs have been recovered from sales in the developed world can be made more economically accessible to third world countries after patent protection has ceased."

With some 350 applications being filed each day world wide according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, and millions more already on file, the task of tracking Patent monitoring can reveal..

applications is becoming ever more demanding. Few businesses can afford to maintain patent investigation skills in house and companies such as RWS who specialise in patent search and monitoring can provide an economical and experienced resource as and when required.

What was once mainly the province of small, specialist companies or individuals is now a rapidly expanding and fast changing international business. As the volume of patent applications grows worldwide and electronic data management becomes more widespread, those involved with intellectual property search need to adapt and invest to cope with these developments. Iliya Fridman, US Business Development Manager, from Intellectual Property Search Company RWS Information’s New York office, looks at the latest statistics and trends and considers how they affect intellectual property searches in the 21st century.

Bill Gates oft-quoted comment “The web changes everything” is increasingly applicable to Intellectual Property Search as much as to any other business activity. The economic and technical importance of the Web has grown at a staggering pace in the past few years, stimulating fundamental changes in other areas of technology, including electronics, the pharmaceutical and medical sectors, genetics and biotechnology. As information becomes more available across the world and companies strive to remain competitive, the volume and complexity of patent applications are set to increase still further.

Statistics from governments and patent organisations around the world confirm the extent to which companies – and individuals – are seeking to protect their latest developments. In 2002 the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) reported 104,000 international patent applications, there were 165,000 applications in Europe, 335,000 in the US and 430,000 in Japan.

In addition to the continued growth in the number of patents, developments in international patent law and the way in which information can be accessed are changing to such an extent that the only way in which business can hope to keep pace is through the use of electronic data management. At the end of last year the USPTO began trials on an electronic patent application system, and in an attempt to rationalise the variations in patent law and administration throughout the world, the WIPO is currently working towards a unified world patent system.

The searcher therefore faces an inexorable increase in the volume and complexity of patent applications and grants; until recently any skilled searcher could reasonably expect to be able to understand and interpret documents in his or her chosen field, which may have been the subject of study many years ago. However the pace of development and innovation means that anyone not regularly involved and up-to-date with even one aspect of their chosen speciality risks being out of touch with the most recent developments, and unable to provide a complete and accurate assessment. Considering that some genetic and biotechnology patents may now exceed 10,000 pages, many searchers could well feel overwhelmed unless they can find a new and more effective way to perform their work.

The electronic age may have generated the problem but it has the potential to provide the solution, albeit at a price. Patent collections are being made electronically available by more and more Patent Offices around the world. At the same time, comprehensive paper collections and up-to-date search-friendly classified paper sets are disappearing. The USPTO will not even publish its newly introduced Pre-Grant Patent Applications in paper form, but only electronically on its website.

While new applications are likely to be stored electronically, document migration – transferring information from printed materials to electronic storage – is a lengthy and costly step to take. The searcher previously offering comprehensive manual searches through paper patent collections faces a complex dilemma. Not only is it increasingly difficult to keep abreast of fast-moving technologies, but also the migration to paperless collections brings the temptation of having to replace comprehensive searches with less thorough keyword searching.

Electronic searching should not be confused with keyword searching. Keyword searching often achieves poor search results - as the choice of words in patents is largely unregulated - whereas patent classifications are selected by patent office examiners. One cannot safely draw conclusions from a negative result produced by a keyword search, and as such keyword searches should never be used in isolation, but as supplements to structured classification searches. Electronic searching is the use of modern technology to conduct more efficiently what was previously referred to as manual or hand searching.

However, even if the transition to electronic searching is successful, many existing records will remain in written or printed form; hence no comprehensive search may be possible in the foreseeable future without the need to access traditional paper documents.

Only larger search businesses with extensive resources will be able to provide the specialization and economies of scale required to create their own in-house electronic library of search data, and also to make this library searchable in a way which replicates the traditional comprehensive full inspection search method through paper documents, but using more efficient electronic means.

Being involved in patent search work internationally for almost 50 years, RWS Information has invested heavily in the technology necessary to carry out international searches rapidly and thoroughly for its clients. Its service combines PatBase (the company’s own extensive database) with its electronic vault repository and access to the paper records held in the British Library. RWS Information currently holds some 10 million patents in-house in electronic form and PatBase contains 28 million consolidated patent families. The British Library, the world’s largest depository of printed paper with 95 miles of books, holds 50 million patent records.

PatBase is a collection of patent material organised in families, in electronic form - with bibliographic data, class selection facilities and linked to electronic document libraries. Searchers are able not only rebuild the old classified sets from patent libraries, but also enhance these by combining various countries/publishing bodies and classification systems as required. The search team (currently around 30 strong) comprises graduates and masters in a range of technical subjects including electrical, mechanical and electronic engineering, physics, chemistry and microbiology. With extensive language skills they are fully equipped to handle searches in a variety of major languages.

Faced with the increasing importance of electronic search work, only the larger companies with a combination of high quality electronic and paper resources will be capable of providing the services and technology required. If the client can deal with a single point of contact, a “Gateway” to the world’s Intellectual Property resource - whether in-house or elsewhere – it will increase efficiency and save considerable time and expense.

So where does this leave the typical search business, faced with a major upheaval in technology, volume of work and client demands? Will the small business or freelancer be able to thrive – or even survive – in the new global technology world? Some highly skilled and specialized searchers will continue to find a niche market for their skills. Others may prefer to work on specific projects for the larger companies in the field, adding to their expertise while retaining a degree of independence.

It is likely that mergers and acquisitions will bring together additional expertise and resources under one roof and polarise the market, with only two or three businesses able to offer the full range of skills and services, hosting “Gateways” in all the leading business centres. Bill Gates and the computer industry could surprise us all in the next few years with more new and unexpected developments – but as our task is to stay on top of such developments, we should not be caught unaware.

We may be amused by the mistranslations we see in hotels and notices abroad and laugh at the multi-national companies who fell into the translation trap. General Motors had to change the name of the Nova car for Spanish speaking countries as "No va" means "it does not go" in Spanish, and the Japanese road sign "Stop, drive sideways" did not say what it meant to say.

But someone somewhere thought they were getting an accurate translation. So how can you avoid the same fate when your boss or a colleague asks you to find a translator? Charles Morris-Denholm from the Translation Division of RWS Group offers some useful guidelines.

Before you can choose the right translator with confidence, you need to establish the nature of the project and to understand what you expect of the person or company you select. It will help your task too if you can persuade your colleagues to allow ample time for the task. Last minute decisions and a translator under pressure can easily lead to errors, which can place business at risk and cause legal disputes, not to mention the cost of reprinting faulty documents.

The language
It may seem obvious but languages can vary and even though any professional translator will work into their mother tongue, the Spanish spoken in Spain is not the same as Spanish from Mexico or Chile, so you should be precise as possible about your target audience.

Subject expertise
The translator will need to show experience and expertise in the subject matter and your area of activity, which could be anything from electronics to fashion. It's particularly important to check for qualifications or relevant experience when dealing with complex specialist fields such as legal and financial documents, engineering, electronics, medicine or pharmaceutical materials. Even where the selected translator is thoroughly familiar with your product or service, it will help if you can provide a glossary or guide to the terms and phrases you use.

The audience and type of material
Translating a user manual for complex engineering machinery may require different skills from those involved in producing a guide to interior design. Sales brochures, legal documents and house journals all need a distinctive approach and you should check that your translator can demonstrate the necessary expertise.

Technical resources
Word processing packages are almost universal and you should expect any competent translator to be able to handle electronic documentation. In addition graphic designers and printers may prefer to work with documents in a convenient format such as Quark, PageMaker, PDF files and graphics, so it's as well to find out how the material will be published before commissioning the project.

Freelance or agency
The freelancer may appear to be a wise choice, as you will meet the person handling the work and with generally low overheads, costs can be lower. However their resources and experience will naturally be more limited than those available to the translation agency, which will be equipped to handle larger, multi-language projects. The agency will be able to select the translator with the most appropriate language skills, knowledge and experience for the task and should provide the extra insurance of skilled supervision and copy checking. Some such as RWS may work to ISO 9002 quality standards.

While some agencies employ their own staff and are able to judge their experience and performance, many others rely largely on freelance translators who are given individual assignments. It is important to check whether the work will be carried out in house, and if not, what quality and monitoring checks apply to make sure you receive an accurate, precise and fluent translation.

Agencies with a significant number of in house staff are also more likely to have their own references library and sources, which can be helpful in making sure that they are up to date with current technology and terminology. IT documents now freely use words and phrases which did not exist even a few years ago, and other businesses will have their own terms and specialised language.

Translation software
There's no doubt that computer generated translations have made great strides in the past few years and can handle simple, non-specialist phrases competently. They can be used to speed up more complex translations in the hands of a skilled translator, but it would be dangerous to depend entirely on machine translations. They cannot have the sense of the right word for every occasion, may produce ambiguous statements and above all, will struggle to sound fluent to the native speaker.

How to get the best from your translator
Once you have made your selection, you and your colleagues can do much to ensure you get the most effective translation from the supplier. By involving the translator early in the project he or she will have the time to understand your business and the nature of the task. You should provide examples of similar documents and in particular any produced and used in the target country or language, which have proved to be accurate.

Finally remember that as with any other purchase you get what you pay for, and the payback resulting from effective, persuasive and accurate translations will more than justify the cost.

RWS Group has set up an alliance with German-based patent renewal company PAVIS to provide a one-stop service for European patent nationalisation. The two companies can now provide an all-embracing service including translating EP applications into all required languages, filing with the relevant national patent offices and renewal fee payments.

Clients can use PAVIS's Internet service "Pavis-online", to access invoices and receipts for services such as the Patent Monitoring facility now offered by both companies. Further information is available from the PAVIS website on www.pavis.com.

Using the latest IT technology and its unique proprietary software, PAVIS is now able to provide a lower cost, more efficient renewal procedure in partnership with RWS Group.

Following the European Commission's proposals last year to reduce the number of translations needed to obtain file European patent, both the European Patent Office and the European Commission have provided guide costs on their websites for translating and filing. But according to Reinhard Ottway, business development director of Intellectual Property Search and Translation company RWS Group, most clients pay far less as they generally require a limited number of translations.

He commented:" The EPO puts translation costs alone at EUR 11,500 and the EC at EUR 12,600. But in our experience of handling some 1,000 full service cases each year, we believe that a more realistic figure for translations, including domestic agent fees (which the website figures exclude) and the use of local RWS offices as required, should be round EUR 10,880. Should the Commission's proposals come into effect the number of translations - and the cost - will fall still further."

According to the EPO website, an EP patent designates an average of eight countries upon grant. Ottway responded that for RWS the average number of translations per patent is three and even with eight designations the client would only require four to six translations under the current scheme. "The best way to encourage inventors and entrepreneurs in the EU is to make filing a patent a simple, low-cost procedure. The Commission's proposals will reduce the amount of translations required and it is the role of companies such as RWS to respond by providing a competitively priced, full service package for accurate and precise translations and filing."