Unfair competition (competencia desleal) is treated as a separate area of study under Spanish business law (Derecho mercantil) and is regulated in a specific law (Ley 3/1991 de Competencia Desleal, as amended). In other jurisdictions, unfair commercial practices may be addressed in competition or consumer protection laws, such as the EU’s Unfair Consumer Practices Directive 29/2005 or the US Revised Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act and similar state laws. This glossary contains 25 of the most frequently-used terms in Spanish unfair competition law with possible English renderings.
acto de comparación–act of comparison
acto de competencia desleal–act of unfair competition
acto de confusión–act of confusion (capable of creating confusion with a competitor’s products, services or establishment)
acto de denigración–act of disparagement
acto de engaño–act of deception
acto de imitación sistemática–act of systematic imitation (of a competitor’s products or services)
acto desleal; ilícito concurrencial–act of unfair competition
aprovechamiento indebido de la reputación ajena–unduly trading on another’s business goodwill (or) reputation
conducta anticompetitiva; conducta contraria a la competencia; conducta restrictiva de la competencia–anticompetitive conduct; conduct in restraint of trade
denigración–disparagement
Derecho de la competencia desleal–unfair competition law
deslealtad al competidor—unfair competition practices
deslealtad al consumidor–unfair consumer practices
deslealtad de mercado–unfair market practices
discriminación en materia de precios–price discrimination; discriminatory pricing
engaño por silencio–deception by silence
explotación de la reputación ajena–exploiting another’s reputation
Ley de Competencia Desleal–Unfair Competition Act
libertad de elección del consumidor—consumer’s freedom of choice
omisión engañosa–deceptive omission
ventas a pérdida--dumping
violación de secretos comerciales–misappropriation of trade secrets
In Legal Spanish parte has so many different meanings. In addition to referring to a “party” to a contract or judicial proceeding, parte can mean “part” or “portion,” or denote a “notice,” “report” or “announcement.” Here are 50 examples taken from my Diccionario* indicating the field of law in which the expression is used and possible synonyms (indicates terms more likely to be used in England and Wales than in the US or other jurisdictions are marked “E&W”):
parte acreedora [obs] creditor; obligee (party to whom a debt or obligation is owed) (syn: acreedor)
parte actora [civpro] plaintiff; claimant (E&W) (syn: demandante; actor; parte demandante)
parte acusada [crimpro] defendant (in criminal proceedings); criminal defendant; the accused
parte acusadora [crimpro] party to the prosecution
parte agraviada [cont] injured party
parte agraviada [crimpro] victim (syn: víctima del delito; agraviado por el delito; ofendido por el delito; parte ofendida; sujeto pasivo del delito)
parte alícuota [gen] proportional part/interest/share
parte amistoso de accidente [ins] mutually-agreed auto insurance claim (in which the parties agree which driver was at fault)
parte apelada [procedure] appellee; respondent (E&W) (in a recurso de apelación) (syn: apelado)
parte apelante [procedure] appellant (in a recurso de apelación) (syn: apelante)
parte civil [crimpro] civil damages claimant (party claiming civil damages in a criminal proceeding) (syn: actor civil)
parte compareciente [gen] party appearing (in court, before a notary public, etc.)
parte compradora [comm] buyer; purchaser; vendee (real property) (syn: comprador)
parte condenada en costas [procedure] party ordered to pay costs; paying party (E&W)
parte contractual [cont] party to a contract
parte contraria, la [procedure] the adverse party; the opposing party; the other party
parte contratante [cont] contracting party; party to a contract
parte contratante económicamente debil, la [cont] the economically weaker party (in an adhesion contract–contrato de adhesión)
parte contratante económicamente fuerte [cont] economically stronger party (in an adhesion contract–contrato de adhesión)
parte cumplidora [cont] non-breaching party; non-defaulting party; innocent party; injured party (when there is breach on the part of the other party) (syn: parte perjudicada por el incumplimiento contractual)
parte de accidente [gen] accident report
parte de accidente de trabajo [lab] occupational accident report
parte de asistencia sin baja laboral [lab] report of medical assistance rendered for an injury not requiring medical leave
parte de confirmación de baja [lab] certification of medical leave
parte de enfermedad profesional [lab] report of an occupational disease
parte de incidencias [corp] incident report
parte de la defensa [crimpro] party to the defense
parte de siniestro [ins] insurance claim; insurance claim form
parte demandada [civpro] defendant; respondent (in family proceedings or arbitration) (syn: demandado)
parte demandada en reconvención [civpro] counterclaim defendant (syn: actor reconvenido; parte reconvenida; demandado en reconvención)
parte demandada reconviniente [civpro] counterclaimant (syn: reconviniente; demandado reconviniente)
parte demandante [civpro] plaintiff; claimant (E&W) (syn: demandante; actor; parte actora)
parte deudora [obs] debtor; obligor (syn: parte deudora)
parte dispositiva [procedure] operative part (of a judgment or other judicial decision)
parte especial del Derecho penal [crim] area of criminal law that deals with specific offenses
parte europeo de accidente [ins] European accident statement (for auto or traffic accidents)
parte expositiva [gen] preamble (to a law) (syn: exposición de motivos); recitals (in a contract)
parte facultativo [gen] medical report; doctor’s/physician’s report (syn: parte medico)
parte firmante [cont] signatory (to a contract, a treaty, etc.)
parte general del Derecho penal [crim] area of criminal law that deals with general aspects of the discipline (sources of criminal law, theory of crime, punishment, etc.)
parte incumplidora [cont] breaching party; defaulting party (syn: parte no cumplidora)
parte interesada [gen] party in interest; interested party
parte interesada [corp] stakeholder
parte legitimada [civpro] party with standing; party having standing
parte legitimada activamente [civpro] parte with standing to sue
parte legitimada pasivamente [civpro] party with standing to be sued
parte médico [gen] medical report; doctor’s/physician’s report (syn: parte facultativo)
parte médico de alta [lab] medical leave discharge (doctor’s report allowing an employee to return to work after s medical or sick leave)
parte médico de baja [lab] medical leave order (doctor’s report authorizing an employee to take medical or sick leave)
parte no cumplidora [cont] breaching party; defaulting party (syn: parte incumplidora)
parte ofendida [crim] victim (syn: víctima del delito; ofendido por el delito; agraviado por el delito; parte agraviada; sujeto pasivo del delito)
parte perjudicada [tort] injured party
parte perjudicada por el incumplimiento contractual [cont] non-breaching party; non-defaulting party; innocent party; injured party (syn: parte cumplidora)
parte procesal [procedure] party to the proceedings
parte reconvenida [civpro] counterclaim defendant (syn: actor reconvenido; demandado en reconvención; parte demandada en reconvención)
parte recurrente [procedure] appellant; petitioner (syn: recurrente)
parte recurrida [procedure] appellee (US); respondent (E&W) (syn: recurrido)
parte vencedora [procedure] prevailing party; successful party; receiving party (E&W); party awarded costs
parte vencida [procedure] losing party; paying party (E&W); party ordered to pay costs
parte vendedora [comm] seller; vendor (real property) (syn: vendedor)
Letra has several different meanings in legal contexts in which it can rarely be rendered literally as “letter.” When describing a will (testamento), the expression escrito de puño y letra indicates that the document was “handwritten,” i.e., that it is a “holographic will” (testamento ológrafo). And when authenticating a document, cotejo pericial de letras denotes “expert handwriting analysis” conducted by a perito calígrafo (“handwriting expert” or “document examiner”).
In other respects, letra de cambio is a type of negotiable instrument, a “bill of exchange” (called a “draft” in the US). And Letras del Tesoro are “treasury bills,” the Spanish government’s short-term investment securities.
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.”
“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 emitirun veredicto.” Thus the expression “the jury returned a verdict of guilty” denotes that el jurado emitió un veredicto de culpabilidad.
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)
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
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)
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)
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.
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.
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.
Léxico Jurídico Español-Inglés 