Patent and Trademark Translation for MyIPO (Malaysia)
Short answer: MyIPO accepts patent applications only "in the national language or in the English language". A PCT application entering Malaysia must do so "before the expiration of thirty months from the priority date", with "a copy of the international application in the English language" (Patents Act 1983, section 78O). You cannot file in another language and translate later. MyIPO may also ask for a translation of a foreign priority document within three months, and a certified English translation of foreign search and examination results used for modified substantive examination. For trademarks, any word "which is not in Roman characters, or the national language or English language" needs a translation and transliteration, which the Registrar may ask to be certified; without it the application is deemed withdrawn (Trademarks Regulations 2019, regulation 12).
What we do: English translations of patent specifications, claims, priority documents and foreign examination reports from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French and other languages, plus trademark translations and transliterations, with a translator's certification. We work to the 30-month deadline with patent agents. Send the specification on WhatsApp with the deadline.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
Patents: what needs translating
PCT national phase: the international application in English, due within 30 months of the priority date (section 78O). International applications filed with MyIPO as receiving office must also be in English (section 78G(1A)).
Direct filings: the specification, claims, abstract and drawings text in Malay or English from the start (regulation 18(11)). Translations cannot be filed later.
Priority documents: if the earlier application is in another language, "the Registrar may require" a translation into Malay or English within three months (regulation 22(3)).
Modified substantive examination: foreign search and examination results relied on need "a certified translation in the English language" (regulation 27(3)(c)).
The Patents (Amendment) Act 2022 came into force on 18 March 2022. Deferment of substantive examination is no longer available and some deadlines can no longer be extended, while the 2022 regulations added restoration of priority. Missing a translation deadline is harder to fix than it used to be.
Trademarks: translation and transliteration
Words in non-Roman scripts or other languages: state the translation, the transliteration where needed, and the language (regulation 12(1)).
Certification on request: the Registrar may require a copy "certified or verified to the satisfaction of the Registrar" (regulation 12(3)). If it is not supplied, the application is deemed withdrawn (regulation 12(4)).
Priority claims: a priority certificate not in English needs an English translation attached (regulation 10(6)).
Madrid designations: the Registrar may ask the holder for a translation of the word in Malay or English (regulation 70(3)).
What makes a patent translation work
Claims first. The claims define the protection, so their terms are fixed in a glossary before the description is translated.
Consistency. One term, one translation, across claims, description and drawings.
Faithful, not polished. A patent translation follows the source closely, including its ambiguities, so it cannot be challenged as adding matter.
Numbers and formulas checked twice.
Maklumat dalam Bahasa Melayu
MyIPO hanya menerima permohonan paten dalam bahasa kebangsaan atau bahasa Inggeris. Permohonan PCT yang memasuki fasa kebangsaan Malaysia mesti dibuat dalam tempoh 30 bulan dari tarikh keutamaan, dengan salinan permohonan antarabangsa dalam bahasa Inggeris. Bagi cap dagangan, perkataan yang bukan dalam huruf Rumi, Bahasa Melayu atau Inggeris memerlukan terjemahan dan transliterasi (peraturan 12, Peraturan-Peraturan Cap Dagangan 2019). Kami menyediakan terjemahan paten dan cap dagangan. WhatsApp: +60 17-227 9378.
中文说明
马来西亚知识产权局（MyIPO）只接受马来文或英文的专利申请。PCT申请须在优先权日起30个月内进入马来西亚国家阶段，并提交英文版本。中文商标须提供翻译及音译，否则申请视为撤回。我们为专利代理及申请人提供中译英专利说明书、权利要求书及商标翻译。WhatsApp：+60 17-227 9378。
Common questions
Can I file a Malaysian patent application in Chinese and translate later?
No. Applications must be filed in Malay or English; a late translation is not possible.
What is the PCT national phase deadline for Malaysia?
30 months from the priority date, with the application in English.
Does a Chinese-character trademark need a translation?
Yes. State the translation and the transliteration. If the Registrar asks for a certified or verified copy and none is given, the application is deemed withdrawn.
Do you work with patent agents?
Yes. We translate for patent and trademark agents filing in Malaysia and deliver to their filing deadlines.
Related guides
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