The intellectual-property rights of a text may give rise to certain doubts when it comes to translation. We’ve put together this article to answer all your questions.
Which documents can be translated?
It’s important to start by noting which types of texts are best suited to these translation services.
· Those created by authors, with the latter being defined as any person who wishes to register their own work (whether literary or technological).
· Those written by the original owners, as is the case with collective works, or by the creators of a specific project, ultimately carried out by other people who, in turn, may be holders of intellectual-property rights.
Those belonging to a person who has been transferred ownership of the intellectual-property rights for a specific work, during the author’s life. This is known as an inter vivos transfer.
· Those who inherit ownership of a work. In this case, said ownership will have a duration of 70 years after the author’s death. This legal concept is known as mortis causa.
Now you know the different types of text that fall into this category, it’s important to specify that the translator can also claim authors’ rights on their work, when the time comes. This applies in the case of those translations that, for various reasons, differ sufficiently from the original work and which have almost become a new work in their own right. In these situations, the author maintains their own rights and must allow the translator to receive the corresponding authors’ rights for their translation.
It’s important to remember that the translator of a literary work has the right to be mentioned therein, and also receive a share of the profits generated from its sale. This will all depend on whether or not their work may be considered creative, or if it is merely a machine translation of the text in question.
Machine translations by computer programs, applications or other software do not fall into this category, as they are normally used to translate things like menus and other elements in which there is no room for creativity.
In other words, translations of works of intellectual property can be profitable, as long as the person having created the text recognizes your efforts. In fact, many writers have a go-to translator to whom they entrust all their works – whether for their personal style or because they have built up a friendship after many years of mutual collaboration.
Equally, it is important to bear in mind that a translation may be considered creative if it is derived from a text that is difficult to explain and which requires a series of changes in order to be understood. Achieving accuracy through a thorough and exhaustive approach is essential in order to successfully convey the author’s message.
In these cases, there’s no better choice than to make use of the services of a translation company who can save you a great deal of work when it comes to translating a text covered by intellectual-property rights. Get in touch with us about our services and you’ll receive comprehensive information on everything we can offer you. Put your faith in our experience and quality to obtain the best results possible.
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