Google to translate European patent texts

Bloomberg reports:

Google will have access to existing translations held by the European Patent Office, the company said in a statement, and will provide its translation technology without charge on the patent office’s website. Google’s program will translate patents to and from Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian as well as the 28 languages recognized by the European Union, it said.

BUT NOTE

Rainer Osterwalder, a spokesman for the patent office in Munich, said the translation tool “does not replace a translation where it is required by the law” and cannot be used for applying for a European patent.

See also

Google, Patent Office Launch Translation Cooperation:

Google Inc. and the European Patent Office Thursday [24 March 2011] signed a long-term agreement to provide free access and translations to 70 million patents registered with the EPO through the patent office's website.