Month: January 2024

False Friends: “franquicia” vs. franchise

rebeccajowers False Friends , , , ,

In business law contexts franquicia and “franchise” are usually cognates, as in a contrato de franquicia (“franchise agreement”), in which franquiciador is the “franchisor,” while franquiciado is the “franchisee”. But in the context of insurance law franquicia cannot be rendered as “franchise” and must be translated as as “deductible,” referring to the portion of the loss to be paid by the insured before the insurer becomes liable: seguro de automóvil con una franquicia de 500€ (“auto insurance with a €500 deductible”).

In other respects, in electoral law “franchise” has an additional meaning, referring to the “right to vote” (derecho de sufragio). In that context “to enfranchise” is conceder (or) otorgar el derecho de voto; while “to disenfranchise” is privar del derecho de voto. And in the UK “franchise” also denotes a privilege granted by the Crown, such as the right to charge a toll or to hold a market or fair. In the US this might be called a “license” or “permit,” and in Spain often corresponds to what is known as a “concesión administrativa.”

Common Words with Uncommon Legal Meanings: “return”

rebeccajowers Common words with uncommon legal meanings , , , ,

“Return” is used in several legal contexts in which it cannot be translated literally with its everyday meaning of volver. As a noun and in the context of electoral law, the expression “election returns” refers to resultados electorales. But, curiously, as a verb rather than “to elect,” “return” actually means “to reelect:” “The candidate was returned by a majority” (El candidato fue reelegido por mayoría).

In the context of tax law “tax return” refers to la declaración de la renta, and “to file a tax return” is presentar la declaración de la renta. (Perhaps it should be noted that “tax return” has sometimes been mistranslated as devolución de impuestos, devolución de la renta or devolución de Hacienda, which are expressions more appropriately rendered as “tax refund.”)

In other respects, in US criminal procedure and in the context of jury trials, the expression “to return a verdict” means emitir un veredicto.” Thus the expression “the jury returned a verdict of guilty” denotes that el jurado emitió un veredicto de culpabilidad.

Glossary of 150 Spanish Trademark Law Terms

rebeccajowers Vocabulary Building , , , ,

I’ve added a new category to this blog (Vocabulary Building) where I will be posting Spanish-English mini-glossaries of legal terms that I think may be of interest to translators and interpreters. This first one posted below contains over 150 terms and concepts from Spanish Trademark Law, many collected during the four years that I worked as an in-house translator in the Trademark Department at Elzaburu (Spain’s leading intellectual property law firm).

Spanish-English Glossary of 150 Trademark Law Terms

  • acuerdo de coexistencia–trademark coexistence agreement
  • acuerdo de delimitación de marca–trademark delimitation agreement
  • agotamiento de derechos de marca–exhaustion of trademark rights
  • ampliación de productos–extension of goods (covered under a trademark registration)
  • antecedentes registrales–prior/previously-registered trademarks
  • Arreglo de Lisboa relativo a la Protección de las Denominaciones de Origen y su Registro Internacional–Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration
  • Arreglo de Madrid relativo al Registro Internacional de Marcas–Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks
  • aviso de parecidos–opposition watch service notice (notice of confusingly similar marks found in a trademark availability search)
  • búsqueda de antecedentes registrales–trademark availability search (for prior confusingly-similar trademark registrations) (syn: búsqueda de parecidos; investigación de parecidos/antecedentes registrales)
  • búsqueda de identidades–trademark availability search (for prior identical trademark registrations)
  • búsqueda de parecidos–trademark availability search (for prior confusingly-similar trademark registrations) (syn: búsqueda de antecedentes registrales; investigación de parecidos/antecedentes registrales)
  • caducidad de la marca por falta de uso–lapse of a trademark for nonuse
  • cartera de marcas–trademark portfolio
  • certificado de registro–trademark registration certificate; certificate of trademark registration
  • cesión de marca–trademark assignment; assignment of trademark
  • Clasificación de Niza (nombre alternativo de la Clasificación Internacional de Productos y Servicios)–Nice Classification (alternate name of the International Classification of Goods and Services)
  • Clasificación de Viena (nombre alternativo de la Clasificación Internacional de Elementos Figurativos de las Marcas)–Vienna Classification (alternate name of the International Classification of Figurative Elements of Trademarks)
  • Clasificación Internacional de Elementos Figurativos de las Marcas (también denominada Clasificación de Viena)–International Classification of Figurative Elements of Marks (also known as the Vienna Classification)
  • Clasificación Internacional de Productos y Servicios (también denominada Clasificación de Niza)–International Classification of Goods and Services (also known as the Nice Classification)
  • coexistencia de marcas similares o idénticas–coexistence of similar or identical trademarks
  • colores corporativos–corporate colors
  • conceder una marca–to grant a trademark
  • concesión de una marca–grant of a trademark
  • conciencia marcaria–brand recognition; brand awareness
  • consejo regulador de la denominación de origen–regulatory board of appellation of origin
  • contrato de licencia de uso de marca–trademark license agreement
  • convivencia registral de marcas incompatibles–coexistence on the register of confusingly-similar trademarks
  • copia servil–slavish imitation
  • declaración de privilegios–prior rights agreement
  • declaración de uso–statement of use
  • declaración de valor–declaration of value
  • denegación de la marca–denial of registration; refusal to grant a trademark registration
  • derecho anterior–earlier right
  • Derecho de marcas–trademark law (syn: Derecho marcario)
  • derecho de prioridad–priority right
  • Derecho marcario–trademark law (syn: Derecho de marcas)
  • derechos nacionales preexistentes–earlier national rights
  • desreivindicación–disclaimer
  • desreivindicar–to disclaim; to file a trademark disclaimer
  • dilución de marca–trademark dilution (syn: dilución marcaria)
  • dilución de marca por degradación–trademark tarnishment; dilution by tarnishment (syn: dilución marcaria por degradación)
  • dilución de marca por empañamiento–trademark blurring; dilution by blurring (syn: dilución marcaria por empañamiento)
  • dilución marcaria–trademark dilution (syn: dilución de marca)
  • dilución marcaria por degradación–trademark tarnishment; dilution by tarnishment (syn: dilución de marca por degradación)
  • dilución marcaria por empañamiento–trademark blurring; dilution by blurring (syn: dilución de marca por empañamiento)
  • distintividad marcaria–distinctiveness; trademark distinctiveness
  • distintividad marcaria adquirida–acquired distinctiveness; secondary meaning (syn: distintividad sobrevenida)
  • distintividad marcaria sobrevenida–acquired distinctiveness; secondary meaning (syn: distintividad adquirida)
  • elemento de la marca–trademark component
  • elemento gráfico de la marca–visual component; design element (device marks)
  • enunciado de productos–specification of goods
  • enunciado de servicios–specification of services
  • examen de fondo–substantive examination (of a trademark application to determine whether the applicant mark is registrable)
  • examen de forma–preliminary examination (of a trademark application to determine whether the application complies with formal and legal requisites)
  • falta de distintividad–lack of distinctiveness
  • falta de uso–nonuse; failure to use (a trademark)
  • fecha de prioridad–priority date
  • fidelidad a la marca–brand loyalty
  • Gaceta de la OMPI de Marcas Internacionales–WIPO Gazette of International Marks
  • genericidad–genericness
  • inducir a la confusión–to prompt confusion; to lead to confusion (between confusingly-similar trademarks)
  • informe de búsqueda–trademark availability search report
  • infracción de derechos de marca–trademark infringement (syn: violación de derechos de marca)
  • investigación de antecedentes registrales–trademark availability search (search for prior confusingly-similar trademark registrations) (syn: investigación de parecidos; búsqueda de parecidos; búsqueda de antecedentes registrales)
  • investigación de parecidos–trademark availability search (search for prior confusingly-similar trademark registrations) (syn: investigación de antecedentes registrales; búsqueda de parecidos; búsqueda de antecedentes registrales)
  • Ley de Marcas–Trademark Act
  • licencia de uso de marca–trademark license
  • marca–mark; trademark; trade mark (UK)
  • marca anterior–earlier mark
  • marca blanca–house brand; store brand; private label; generic brand (syn: marca de distribuidor)
  • marca caducada–lapsed mark
  • marca colectiva–collective mark
  • marca comunitaria–Community trade mark (former name of the European Union trade mark–now, marca de la Unión Europea)
  • marca consolidada–incontestable mark (syn: marca inatacable)
  • marca contraria al orden público o a las buenas costumbres–trademark contrary to public policy or accepted moral principles
  • marca de base–basic mark (trademark that serves as the basis for filing an international trademark application with the International Bureau at the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO)
  • marca de color–color mark
  • marca de distribuidor–house brand; store brand; private label; generic brand (syn: marca blanca)
  • marca de fantasía–fanciful mark
  • marca de garantía–certification mark
  • marca de la Unión Europea–European Union trade mark
  • marca de movimiento–motion mark
  • marca de patrón–pattern mark
  • marca de posición–position mark
  • marca de servicio–service mark
  • marca defensiva–defensive mark; defensive registration
  • marca denominativa–word mark
  • marca descriptiva–descriptive mark
  • marca engañosa–misleading mark
  • marca genérica–generic mark; genericized mark
  • marca gráfica–device/design mark
  • marca gustativa–taste mark
  • marca holograma–hologram mark
  • marca inatacable–incontestable mark (syn: marca consolidada)
  • marca internacional–international trademark registration
  • marca mixta–composite mark
  • marca multiclase–multi-class mark
  • marca multimedia–multimedia mark
  • marca notoria–well-known trademark (trademark known to consumers in the sector)
  • marca olfativa–smell/scent/olfactory mark
  • marca oponente–opposing mark
  • marca pretendiente–applicant mark (syn: marca solicitada; marca solicitante)
  • marca prioritaria–prior mark; earlier mark
  • marca publicitaria–slogan mark
  • marca que falta distintividad–non-distinctive trademark
  • marca registrada–registered trademark
  • marca renombrada–renowned trademark (trademark known to the public in general)
  • marca solicitada–applicant mark (syn: marca pretendiente; marca solicitante)
  • marca solicitante–applicant mark (syn: marca pretendiente; marca solicitada)
  • marca sonora–sound/aural mark
  • marca táctil–tactile/touch/texture/haptic mark
  • marca tridimensional–three-dimensional/shape mark
  • marcario–pertaining to trademarks
  • marcas confrontadas–conflicting trademarks
  • marcas confundibles–confusingly similar trademarks (syn: marcas incompatibles; marcas similares que conducen a confusión)
  • marcas idénticas–identical trademarks
  • marcas incompatibles–confusingly similar marks (syn: marcas confundibles; marcas similares que conducen a confusión)
  • marcas similares que conducen a confusión–confusingly similar marks (syn: marcas confundibles; marcas incompatibles)
  • mercancía falsificada–counterfeit goods
  • mercancía paralela–parallel imports; gray-market goods
  • motivo absoluto de denegación–absolute grounds for refusing registration (EU trade mark)
  • nombre genérico–generic name
  • Nomenclátor Internacional de Productos y Servicios (Clasificación de Niza)–International Classification of Goods and Services (Nice Classification)
  • oposición a la solicitud de marca–opposition to a trademark application (filed on behalf of the owner of a prior mark)
  • pérdida de distintividad–loss of distinctiveness
  • prioridad de exposición–exposition priority
  • prioridad reivindicada–priority claimed
  • probabilidad de confusión–likelihood of confusion (of confusingly similar trademarks)
  • prohibición absoluta de registro–absolute grounds for refusing trademark registration
  • prohibición relativa de registro–relative grounds for refusing a trademark registration
  • Protocolo concerniente al Arreglo de Madrid relativo al Registro Internacional de Marcas (Protocolo de Madrid)–Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (Madrid Protocol)
  • prueba de uso de la marca–proof of trademark use
  • reconocimiento de marca–trademark recognition; brand awareness
  • registro de base–basic registration (trademark registration that serves as the basis for filing an international trademark application with the International Bureau at the World Intellectual Property Organization–WIPO)
  • Registro Internacional–International Register (of international trademarks)
  • rehabilitación de una marca–reinstatement of a trademark
  • reivindicación de antigüedad–seniority claim
  • reivindicación de prioridad–priority claim
  • renovación de la marca–renewal of a trademark
  • renuncia de la marca–surrender of a trademark; waiver of trademark rights
  • representación gráfica–graphical representation
  • requisito de uso–trademark use requirement
  • restablecimiento de derechos de marca–reinstatement of trademark rights
  • riesgo de confusión–likelihood of confusion (of confusingly similar trademarks)
  • rótulos de establecimiento–business signs; business signage
  • signo distintivo–distinctive sign (in Spain these include trademarks –marcas– and tradenames–nombres comerciales)
  • similitud gráfica–similarity in design (device marks)
  • solicitud de base–basic application (trademark application that serves as the basis for filing an international trademark application with the International Bureau at the World Intellectual Property Organization–WIPO)
  • solicitud de marca–trademark application
  • suspensión de la solicitud–suspension of a trademark application
  • titular de la marca–trademark owner
  • uso obligatorio de marca–mandatory use of a trademark; mandatory trademark use
  • uso real y efectivo de la marca–real and effective use of a trademark
  • violación de derechos de marca–trademark infringement (syn: infracción de derechos de marca)

Source: Rebecca Jowers. Diccionario de términos y conceptos jurídicos español-inglés. Tirant lo Blanch, 2023.

Multiple Meanings of “Prestar” and “Prestación”

rebeccajowers Multiple Meanings , , , ,

Prestación and prestar have many different meanings in legal contexts. Prestar appears in several common expressions such as prestar consentimiento (“to consent” or “to give consent”), prestar servicios (“to provide services”), prestar juramento (“to take an oath”), prestar caución (“to post a bond”) or prestar fianza (“to post bail”). Prestación is used similarly in these same expressions: prestación de servicios (“provision of services), prestación de juramento (“taking an oath”), prestación de fianza (“posting bail”), etc.

In the law of obligations (Derecho de obligaciones), prestación refers either to “performance” owed or to a “payment” that is due, while in the context of labor law (Derecho laboral) prestación extrasalarial denotes a “fringe benefit” or “perk” afforded employees.

Prestación is likewise rendered as “benefit” when referring to protections provided through a social security system: prestación de la Seguridad Social (“social security benefit”). Common examples include, among others, prestación por desempleo (“unemployment benefit”), prestación por jubilición (“retirement benefit”), prestación por hijo a cargo (“dependent child benefit”) and prestación por accidente laboral, known as “industrial injuries disablement benefit” in the UK, but called “workers’ compensation” in the US.

False Friends “Administrador” vs. Administrator

rebeccajowers False Friends , , , ,

There are at least two instances in legal contexts in which administrador and “administrator” may be false cognates. In the context of corporate law, administrador does not generally refer to an “administrator,”·but rather to a company “director.” For example, in Spain business entities may choose among four possible corporate management structures. Management may be entrusted to an administrador único (“sole director”), two or more administradores mancomunados (“joint directors;” “directors acting jointly”), administradores solidarios (“joint and several directors;” “directors acting jointly and severally”) or a consejo de administración (“board of directors”), which may be called a directorio or junta directiva in other Spanish-speaking jurisdictions. In that regard, “directors” are known variously as consejeros or “board members” or “members of the board” (miembros del consejo, miembros del directorio or miembros de la junta directiva).

In other respects, in English and in the context of inheritance law (Derecho de sucesiones), a person appointed by a court to settle the estate of an intestate decedent (causante que ha muerto intestado) or of a decedent testator who failed to appoint an executor (albacea) is known as an “administrator” (called albacea judicial or albacea dativo in Spanish). It is worth noting that formerly “administrator” denoted a male court-appointed executor of a will, while if that task were performed by a woman, she was known as an “administratrix” (plural: “administratrixes,” or “administratrices”), terms that have now largely fallen in disuse.

Confusing terms: “recurrir” vs. “apelar;” “recurso” vs. “apelación”

rebeccajowers Confusing Terms , , , , , ,

It is easy to assume that recurrir and apelar are synonyms, and recurso and apelación do indeed appear as such in many bilingual sources that inevitably translate both as “appeal.” However, they are not interchangeable. Recurso is a broad term denoting generically many types of appeals and legal remedies, both judicial and administrative. Thus, recurso may be a general term for “appeal,” or it may denote a specific means of appeal, depending on the context.

In contrast, (recurso de) apelación is a specific type of appeal (in Spain is known as a recurso devolutivo, or appeal to a higher court) from (or against) the decision of a trial court (tribunal de primera instancia), whether civil, criminal, administrative or labor. In that regard, recurso de apelación may perhaps be described as a “second instance appeal,” an “appeal of a trial court’s decision,” or perhaps as an “appeal to an intermediate appellate court,” but only in those instances in which a further appeal may be available if the apelación is unsuccessful. Verbs denoting the filing of a recurso de apelación are apelar or recurrir en apelación.

ES-EN Legal Translation Blog in 2023

rebeccajowers Uncategorized

WordPress tells me that 42,531 people viewed my blog content during 2023. I
am quite aware that’s hardly a drop in the bucket for many sites. But it may
actually be a lot for this ES-EN legal translation niche, and encourages me to
continue to add new entries in 2024. I say this because, not long ago, a
lawyer-linguist colleague suggested that my type of language-specific content
is no longer of much interest to translators and interpreters. He suggested
that the focus has now turned to other more technical topics, such as how to run a translation business, translator and interpreter training, the use of plain
or inclusive language, or the impact of AI on T&I, among others.

But I still have lots of ideas concerning the linguistic aspects of legal
translation that I want to add to my 300 already-published blog entries in the
upcoming months. They will still be organized in the same categories that I
invented when commencing the blog in 2016:

  • False Friends (yes, I admit I’ve been
    called la loca de los falsos amigos)
  • Multiple Meanings (Polysemy)
  • Confusing Terms
  • Frequent Mistranslations
  • Español Jurídico
  • Common Terms with Uncommon Legal Meanings
  • Expressing Spanish Civil Law Concepts in Common Law Terms
  • Latinismos
  • Ellipses in Legal Spanish
  • Capsule Vocabularies
  • Terminology Sources,
  • Legal Language in the US and UK

 ¿Nos vemos en 2024?

Un abrazo desde Madrid