Translation Services Contract Spain (Contrato de Traducción)

A Translation Services Contract Spain (Contrato de Traducción) is a formal agreement governing the professional relationship between a client (cliente) and a professional translator (traductor) or translation agency (agencia de traducción) in Spain, under which the translator undertakes to produce a translated version of specified source text in exchange for a fee (honorarios). The contract's legal framework in Spain derives primarily from the Real Decreto Legislativo 1/1996, de 12 de abril, por el que se aprueba el Texto Refundido de la Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (LPI), which treats translations as derivative works (obras derivadas) protected by copyright, and from the general contract law provisions of the Código Civil (CC) governing service contracts (contratos de arrendamiento de servicios) and work contracts (contratos de obra o arrendamiento de obra).

Under Article 11.1 of the Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (LPI), translations are expressly recognised as intellectual works (obras del intelecto) that generate independent intellectual property rights in favour of the translator — in addition to the rights of the original author. Article 11 LPI lists translations among the specially protected derivative works (obras derivadas). The translator acquires intellectual property rights over their translation from the moment of creation, without the need for registration, under Article 1 LPI, which establishes that intellectual property belongs to the author (autor) by the mere act of creation.

The translator's intellectual property rights under the LPI include both moral rights (derechos morales) and economic rights (derechos patrimoniales or derechos de explotación). Moral rights under Articles 14 to 16 LPI are perpetual, inalienable, and non-waivable — they include the right of disclosure (divulgación), the right of attribution (paternidad intelectual — the right to be identified as the translator), the right of integrity (integridad — protection against distortion or mutilation of the translation), and the right of modification (modificación). Economic rights under Articles 17 to 23 LPI include the right of reproduction (reproducción), distribution (distribución), public communication (comunicación pública), and transformation (transformación). Economic rights are transferable and may be licensed or assigned in writing under Article 43 LPI.

For translation contracts in Spain, the most commercially significant issue is the allocation of economic rights — specifically, whether the client receives a full assignment (cesión en exclusiva or cesión no exclusiva) of the translation's copyright, or merely a licence to use the translation for a specific purpose. Article 43.1 LPI establishes that the assignment of rights must be expressly stated in writing, specifying the scope, territory, and duration. Any economic rights not expressly transferred in the contract remain with the translator under Article 43.2 LPI — silence favours the translator.

Translation contracts in Spain must also address the treatment of the original author's rights — the translator may not translate a protected original work without the original author's or rights holder's authorisation, typically obtained by the client before commissioning the translation. If the original work is out of copyright (dominio público — 70 years after the author's death under Article 26 LPI), no such authorisation is needed for the original, though the translator's independent rights in their translation subsist from the moment of creation.

Professional translators and interpreters in Spain operating as autónomos are subject to IRPF withholding (retención) at 15% (or 7% for new autónomos in their first three years) on their fees under Ley 35/2006 del IRPF and the Reglamento del IRPF (RD 439/2007). Fees are subject to IVA (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido) at the general rate of 21% under Ley 37/1992 del IVA, which the translator charges to the client and remits to the AEAT. Translation agencies operating as companies invoice with IVA and without IRPF withholding.

The Asociación Española de Traductores, Correctores e Intérpretes (ASETRAD) and the Asociación Profesional Española de Traductores e Intérpretes (APETI) are the main professional associations providing ethical guidelines and rate recommendations for translators in Spain. Sworn translation (traducción jurada) — required for official documents submitted to Spanish authorities — is performed exclusively by sworn translators (traductores jurados) officially accredited by the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores under Real Decreto 2555/1977.

A Translation Services Contract Spain is required whenever a business, government body, or individual commissions a professional translator or translation agency to produce a Spanish or foreign-language version of documents, texts, or content, formalising the deliverables, intellectual property rights, and payment terms.

A Contrato de Traducción is needed when a company requires translation of commercial contracts, corporate documents, technical manuals, or marketing materials into a foreign language — or from a foreign language into Spanish — for use in international business transactions. Without a formal contract, disputes over delivery deadlines, quality standards, and IP ownership are resolved solely under Código Civil default rules, which may not reflect the parties' expectations.

The contract is required when a publishing house (editorial) commissions a literary translator to produce a Spanish-language edition of a foreign-language book or to translate a Spanish work into another language for foreign publication. Literary translation contracts in Spain are specifically addressed by Article 59 LPI, which governs editorial contracts — the contract must specify the rights transferred, the territory, the duration, and the agreed royalty (regalías) or lump sum fee.

A translation contract is necessary when a law firm, notary, or international business requires certified or sworn translation (traducción jurada) of official documents — marriage certificates, powers of attorney, academic diplomas, court judgments — for submission to Spanish authorities, foreign embassies, or international courts. Sworn translations must be performed by accredited traductores jurados registered with the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores.

The agreement is needed when a technology company or software developer requires localisation (localización) of software interfaces, user manuals, or digital content — a complex form of translation that involves not only linguistic transfer but also adaptation of content to local cultural, legal, and technical requirements. Software localisation contracts must address IP ownership of the translated strings, format requirements, glossary maintenance, and version control.

A Contrato de Traducción is required when a public body or court-appointed institution (Administración Pública or Juzgado) requires translation services under a framework agreement — public procurement of translation services is subject to Ley 9/2017 de Contratos del Sector Público (LCSP), requiring formal contract documentation and compliance with public procurement formalities.

A valid Translation Services Contract Spain under the Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (RDL 1/1996) and general Código Civil contract law must contain the following essential elements to protect both the client and the translator and confirm clarity on IP ownership, deliverables, and payment.

Identification of Parties: Full legal name, DNI/NIE/NIF, and address of the client (cliente) and the translator or agency (traductor or agencia de traducción). Where the translator is an autónomo, their autónomo registration details and VAT number (número de identificación a efectos del IVA — NIF-IVA) must be included for invoicing purposes. Where the translator is a company, its NIF and Registro Mercantil data must be stated.

Description of Source Text and Translation: A precise description of the source text (texto original) — the document title or subject, total word count or page count, the source language (idioma de origen), and the target language (idioma de destino). The required output format (Word, PDF, InDesign, bilingual table, etc.) and any applicable style guide, glossary, or terminology requirements (e.g., a pre-existing company glossary) must be specified. For technical or legal translation, subject-matter expertise requirements must be stated.

Delivery Terms and Milestones: The agreed delivery date (fecha de entrega) and, for long projects, interim milestone deliverables and deadlines. The procedure for submitting the completed translation (email, secure FTP, project management platform) and the format requirements. Revision and correction obligations — whether the translator must provide one or two rounds of revisions (revisiones) at no additional charge, and the timeframe for the client to request revisions.

Quality Standards: The applicable quality standards — e.g., reference to ISO 17100:2015 (Requirements for Translation Services) or ISO 18587:2017 (Machine translation post-editing) if applicable. Any specific certification or quality review requirements (back-translation, specialist review by a domain expert). The procedure for handling quality disputes — whether a neutral third-party linguist is appointed and at whose cost.

Intellectual Property Assignment: A clear statement of whether the client receives a full assignment of the economic rights (cesión de derechos de explotación en exclusiva) in the translation under Article 43 LPI, or a non-exclusive licence (licencia no exclusiva) for specified uses, territory, and duration. The translator's perpetual moral rights under Articles 14 to 16 LPI — particularly the right of attribution (derecho de paternidad intelectual) — must be addressed: whether the translator will be credited (e.g., in a published book) or whether the translation will be anonymous for commercial reasons. Attribution waivers in Spain are complex because moral rights are inalienable — a practical confidentiality agreement regarding attribution is more appropriate than a formal waiver.

Fees and Payment Terms: The agreed fee — whether per word (por palabra), per standard page (por página normalizada — typically 1,500 characters without spaces in Spanish), per hour, or as a project lump sum. The payment schedule — advance deposit (anticipo), milestone payments, and final payment on delivery and acceptance. IRPF withholding obligations (15% for professional autónomos under RD 439/2007) and IVA (21% general rate under Ley 37/1992 del IVA) must be addressed in the invoicing arrangements. Late payment interest under Ley 3/2004 de Morosidad applies to commercial translation agreements.

Confidentiality: A thorough confidentiality clause — particularly important when translating legal, financial, medical, or commercial documents containing trade secrets, personal data, or privileged information. The translator's data protection obligations under GDPR Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Ley Orgánica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD) regarding personal data contained in the source text must be addressed — the translator acts as a data processor (encargado del tratamiento) and must comply with Article 28 GDPR requirements.

Forms-legal.com provides this Translation Services Contract Spain template as a practical resource. All translation contracts involving protected source texts require the original author's or rights holder's authorisation obtained by the commissioning client — the translator is not responsible for obtaining the original copyright licence unless the contract expressly provides otherwise. Disputes are resolved before the Juzgados de lo Mercantil for commercial matters, or the Juzgados de Primera Instancia for general civil claims.

Under the Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (RDL 1/1996), translations are derivative works protected by copyright from the moment of creation. The Centro Español de Derechos Reprográficos (CEDRO) manages collective licensing. The Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores accredits sworn translators. The Asociación Española de Traductores ASETRAD provides professional guidelines. The Juzgados de lo Mercantil hear IP disputes in Spain.

Under the Ley de Sociedades de Capital (LSC) RDL 1/2010, the Registro Mercantil maintains the register of Spanish companies. The Código de Comercio 1885 governs commercial obligations. The Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT) administers Impuesto sobre Sociedades (IS) under Ley 27/2014. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) enforces competition law. The Código Civil governs general contractual obligations under Article 1255.