Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
ein glücklicher Griff
English translation:
serendipity
Added to glossary by
LEXpert
Jan 25, 2011 15:06
13 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term
einen glücklichen Griff
German to English
Law/Patents
Patents
From a patent document. The general meaning "einen glücklichen Griff" is clear enough but I'm having trouble coming up with the correct US English "patentese" for it. None of the usual resources have been any help. For context, here is the full sentence:
"Die vorteilhafte Ausführungsform stellt somit einen glücklichen Griff dar, da aus einer Vielzahl von Möglichkeiten eine bestimmte gewählt wurde, deren Ergebnis nicht vorausgesagt werden konnte, daher handelt es sich um ein patentwürdigen glücklichen Griff."
Any help is appreciated! Thanks,
Rudi
"Die vorteilhafte Ausführungsform stellt somit einen glücklichen Griff dar, da aus einer Vielzahl von Möglichkeiten eine bestimmte gewählt wurde, deren Ergebnis nicht vorausgesagt werden konnte, daher handelt es sich um ein patentwürdigen glücklichen Griff."
Any help is appreciated! Thanks,
Rudi
Proposed translations
(English)
3 +4 | serendipity | jccantrell |
3 +1 | lucky strike | Wendy Streitparth |
1 +2 | serendipity | Zareh Darakjian Ph.D. |
3 | stroke of luck; stroke of luck (not necessarily blind) | TechLawDC |
References
serendipity | Alison MacG |
Proposed translations
+4
37 mins
Selected
serendipity
This may fit your case.
Reference:
http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2008/08/serendipity-and.html
http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/businessMethod.htm
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Alison MacG
: Was about to enter the same suggestion (and your first reference!) - have also posted a further reference comment.
17 mins
|
agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
1 hr
|
agree |
phillee
: something like "the XXX of the YYY turned out to be serendipitous" ?
3 hrs
|
agree |
Kim Metzger
: Penicillin was discovered as a result of intelligent serendipity. http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/beautifulminds/flemi...
19 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Yes, of course it's serendipity! Embarrassing "translator's block" on my part. Thanks for your help!"
+1
30 mins
lucky strike
The German is not particularly "patentese" either!
Otherwise happy or lucky coincidence
Otherwise happy or lucky coincidence
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
784512 (X)
: not quite confident enough to go for an agree, but I like "happy coincidence" - serendipity is correct but not commonly used.
1 hr
|
Thanks for the (almost) encouragement, Rose
|
|
agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
1 hr
|
Vielen Dank, Johanna
|
+2
36 mins
serendipity
Just a thought...
Peer comment(s):
agree |
jccantrell
: How can I NOT agree?
1 min
|
Thank you jccantrell.
|
|
agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
1 hr
|
Thank you, Dr. Timm.
|
1 day 11 hrs
stroke of luck; stroke of luck (not necessarily blind)
(It is highly unlikely that a patent law opinion would use the word "serendipity".)
Reference comments
55 mins
Reference:
serendipity
serendipity
Take a look at the following from the Preface to Uexküll's Wörterbuch der Patent- und Markenpraxis Deutsch/Englisch, Englisch/Deutsch Dictionary of Patent- and Trade Mark Terms German/English, English/German
Nur durch eine solche Mitarbeit ist es möglich, Begriffe wie »serendipity = der glückliche Begriff des Erfinders« aufzunehmen; – ein schönes englisches Wort, abgeleitet von den persischen Prinzenvon Serendip »who made a fortunate discovery when not in search of it«.
Only as a result of such cooperation we have been able to include expressions such as »der glückliche Griff des Erfinders = Serendipity«, an attractive English word derived from the Persian prince of Serendip » who made a fortunate discovery when not in search of it«.
http://www.heymanns.com/servlet/PB/show/1158681_l1/Leseprobe...
However, I have also seen it translated as "stroke of luck" http://archive.epo.org/epo/pubs/oj1987/toc1987.pdf or
"felicitous choice" http://archive.epo.org/epo/pubs/oj1982/p293_340.pdf
Take a look at the following from the Preface to Uexküll's Wörterbuch der Patent- und Markenpraxis Deutsch/Englisch, Englisch/Deutsch Dictionary of Patent- and Trade Mark Terms German/English, English/German
Nur durch eine solche Mitarbeit ist es möglich, Begriffe wie »serendipity = der glückliche Begriff des Erfinders« aufzunehmen; – ein schönes englisches Wort, abgeleitet von den persischen Prinzenvon Serendip »who made a fortunate discovery when not in search of it«.
Only as a result of such cooperation we have been able to include expressions such as »der glückliche Griff des Erfinders = Serendipity«, an attractive English word derived from the Persian prince of Serendip » who made a fortunate discovery when not in search of it«.
http://www.heymanns.com/servlet/PB/show/1158681_l1/Leseprobe...
However, I have also seen it translated as "stroke of luck" http://archive.epo.org/epo/pubs/oj1987/toc1987.pdf or
"felicitous choice" http://archive.epo.org/epo/pubs/oj1982/p293_340.pdf
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
: convincing reference!
47 mins
|
Thanks, Johanna!
|
Discussion
special choice (since a certain possibility, the result of which was unforeseeable, was chosen among a great number of possibilities, it is a patentable lucky choice)
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2010/0160416.html
special choice (if a certain possibility, the result of which was unforeseeable, is chosen among a great number of possibilities, that is a patentable lucky choice)
http://www.sumobrain.com/patents/wipo/Biopsy-device-in-vivo-...
Therefore the specified magnesium alloy, among the large number of conceivable materials, represents an unexpectedly lucky choice.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2004/0098108.html
Here is something else from an originally English-language US patent:
The selection of a specific virus for tumor regression was based on serendipity or trial and error in the above citations.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2008/0057037.html
But do these restrictions make any sense at all? Inventions traditionally arise from three sources- sweat and inspiration (as Edison supposedly remarked "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."), and serendipity. The patent office and courts seem fixated on the sweat part- the romantic vision of a lone inventor tinkering way for years, gradually perfecting their great invention.
Indeed this view often reflects reality, and should be rewarded with a patent if the idea is truly novel and useful. But it is the idea that is being rewarded, not the sweat and tears or long sequence of physical prototypes. Mere hard work is not an excuse to grant a patent.
Serendipity (often very little sweat, but lots of luck and a prepared mind) can lead to remarkable inventions. Famously, stainless steel was discovered accidentally while trying to develop a better gun barrel, after noticing one steel alloy proved resistant to etching for microscopic examination. Viagra’s effect on sexual potency was an inadvertent side effect of testing a new cardiac drug. This is not so much invention as inevitable discovery- but we still grant a patent if the idea is new ..