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Questions about copyrights
Thread poster: cendrine marrouat (X)
cendrine marrouat (X)
cendrine marrouat (X)
English to French
+ ...
Sep 28, 2004

Hello all!
I have a question concerning copyrights. I don't really know how it works, and I don't know if, as a translator, I'm entitled to them.
I live in Canada, and I was wondering if copyrights changed depending on the country.
If I am entitled to coyprights, what's the percentage? How can I ask that to a client?*

Thanks a lot.
 
sarahl (X)
sarahl (X)
Local time: 06:46
English to French
+ ...
You surrender your copyrights Sep 28, 2004

Hi Cendrine,
When your client pays for your translation, you surrender your copyrights. They are free to publish your translation as they please.
 
Claudio Chagas (X)
Claudio Chagas (X)
Brazil
Local time: 10:46
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Copyright Info Sep 28, 2004

Hi Cendrine,

I think URL below is a good place to start your search. It's nore focused toward copyright on the Web, but if you click on the Info tab you will find some useful information to get you started.

http://www.copyrightwebsite.com/

Hope this helps,

Claudio
 
Steven Sidore
Steven Sidore  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 15:46
German to English
This is not a given Sep 28, 2004

sarahl wrote:

Hi Cendrine,
When your client pays for your translation, you surrender your copyrights. They are free to publish your translation as they please.


This is a negotiable matter, however. It depends on the contract or agreement established between client and translator.
 
Mauro Baglieri
Mauro Baglieri  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 15:46
English to Italian
+ ...
Your rights are protected Sep 28, 2004

Dear Cendrine, European laws entitle you to have your full name published and to restrict other people from editing your text. I think it is so in other countries. Unfortunately, too many publishers ignore your rights because too many translators in dire need of a job don't ask for those laws to be enforced and they would rather choose a "ghost writer" rather than you.
 
Mauro Baglieri
Mauro Baglieri  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 15:46
English to Italian
+ ...
I think we have rights Sep 28, 2004

Steven Sidore wrote:

sarahl wrote:

Hi Cendrine,
When your client pays for your translation, you surrender your copyrights. They are free to publish your translation as they please.


This is a negotiable matter, however. It depends on the contract or agreement established between client and translator.


I don't think they are free to do as they please. If we all required copyright laws to be enforced, some publishers would think twice before omitting your name.
 
cendrine marrouat (X)
cendrine marrouat (X)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Sep 28, 2004

Thank you very much for your replies.

My question is: if I'm entitled to copyrights, then how much is that ( in %)?
 
sarahl (X)
sarahl (X)
Local time: 06:46
English to French
+ ...
I think she meant copyright in terms of $$$ Sep 28, 2004

Mauro Baglieri wrote:

I don't think they are free to do as they please. If we all required copyright laws to be enforced, some publishers would think twice before omitting your name.


I don't think we can demand a share of the proceeds every time they publish the translation somewhere.
 
Claudio Chagas (X)
Claudio Chagas (X)
Brazil
Local time: 10:46
English to Portuguese
+ ...
How much is that? Sep 28, 2004

cendrine marrouat wrote:

Thank you very much for your replies.

My question is: if I'm entitled to copyrights, then how much is that ( in %)?



I'm afraid there isn't a simple answer to that! If you are entitled to any rights it will show on that contract between you and your publisher, and the clauses cna vary depending on the type of contract. The rule of thumb is for a work of translation you earn a flat fee for your work and wave your copyrights so the publisher is free to publish the work. This does not mean that you should not be acknowledge as the translator of a partucular book, specially if it is from a famous author. In summary it all will depend on the type of work you were hired to translate and if you have any bargaining power over it.

Cheers,

Claudio
 
chica nueva
chica nueva
Local time: 01:46
Chinese to English
Is this literary translation? Sep 29, 2004

There is quite a lot of information available on royalties etc for literary translators. Is this what you need?
 
lien
lien
Netherlands
Local time: 15:46
English to French
+ ...
only for published translations Oct 3, 2004

cendrine marrouat wrote:

Hello all!
I have a question concerning copyrights. I don\'t really know how it works, and I don\'t know if, as a translator, I\'m entitled to them.
I live in Canada, and I was wondering if copyrights changed depending on the country.
If I am entitled to coyprights, what\'s the percentage? How can I ask that to a client?*

Thanks a lot.


You get copyright only on published translations, i.e. made available for the public at large, can be books or cd or the web.

I don\'t know for canada, but there must be a reglementation about publishers somewhere on the net for that country. See the site of one of the canadian translators associations.

The tarif, procentage are all to be negociated on the contrat. It is per contrat.

You don\'t have to \"ask\". You said I will do it at these conditions : ....

I think your problem is you didn\'t understand yet that it is *you* that fix the conditions of translations. Agencies may propose things, you are always free to refuse the propositions.

You *do not have* to work for anyone if you do not agree with the conditions, you fix them. You are not an employee who has to do what the boss told him when he told him to do it.
 


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