Q1071. What specialized terminology rules govern pharmaceutical and chemical patent translations?

Answered by the NYC Visa & Translation certified translation team

Pharmaceutical and chemical patent translation is the highest-stakes technical translation category because claim scope determines monopoly rights, and Thai practice adds a specific constraint: Thai patent applications must be filed in Thai, so the Thai translation of the claims is the legally operative text — the foreign-language original is reference. Terminology rules that govern the work: chemical compounds are named by IUPAC nomenclature, and the Thai rendering follows the Royal Institute's chemical terminology conventions alongside retained international names — consistency between the claims, the specification, and any prior Thai filings of the same family is mandatory; biological sequences are presented as sequence listings in the standard format (not translated); and pharmaceutical terms follow the WHO International Nonproprietary Names (INN) for active ingredients. Process points: the translator must have a chemistry or pharmacy background — generalist translators reliably mistranslate Markush structures and genus-species claim language; the translation is checked against the priority document because any added matter in the Thai text can invalidate the application; and for PCT national-phase entry into Thailand, the 30-month deadline drives the timeline, so translation capacity must be booked ahead. For litigation translations of granted patents, the opposing party will scrutinise every claim term — use the same translator or team that handles the prosecution filings where possible. Confirm current requirements with the Department of Intellectual Property or the handling patent agent.