Who owns your translation?

Assuming you are aware of the technology know as Translation Memory, the next question to ask yourself is: Am I in full control of this valuable data?

When your translation provider completed all you translations, have you considered who owns the translation database that is generated?

Translation memory is now standard practice across the professional translation industry.

How does it work?

Put simply, Translation Memory Tools (also known at Computer Aided Translation or ‘CAT’) which finds repetition in your documents translating sentences once only, saves you money instantly. Then for your next publication, this collected data can be utilised so that any same sentences that match your first translation a reused, which can make vast cost savings.

These translation memories are locked away in databases. But who owns these databases? Many Translation providers see Translation Memory Databases as being intellectual data, which means you do not own it, and these databases will not be provided to you.

Why would this effect you? If the current translation provider will not give you databases, this means if you ever decide to get a comparative quote from a different translation provider, they can never compete! Because the company who has the data has a very clear advantage, and no other company can ever give you a quotation on a level playing field. In effect, you are being tied in.

At Foreign Language Services we believe in giving our clients full control of the data – which after all, you have paid for!

We understand that no one likes to be tied in, and why would you want to tie a client in? The only answer of course is to secure the work, and be able to charge what ever prices you like.

‘A client should stay with you because you have gained a great partnership based on trust, transparency and fair trading – this ethical approach is at the very heart of our business’

It is worth asking yourself a simple question: “do I own the translation memory database at the end of the project at no further cost?”

If you would like more information on the services that Foreign Language Services provide and translation memory please do not hesitate to contact us:

T:+44 (0)1785 255067 or E: translations@fls-ltd.com