§ 1 General provisions
Biuro Tłumaczeń Specjalistycznych ATOMINIUM (ATOMINIUM Specialist Translation Agency) engages in the carrying out of translations and interpreting, as well as in the provision of related services, such as revision and proofreading, verifying the correctness of translations carried out elsewhere, the verification of translated texts by a sworn (certified) translator, the preparation of translated texts in graphics files by means of programmes such as Adobe Acrobat, QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop and so forth.
The services carried out by ATOMINIUM are provided in accordance with these regulations and the price list.
§ 2 Placing and accepting orders
ATOMINIUM carries out translations on condition that the Commissioning Party submits a completed form ordering a translation and signed by a person authorised to represent the said Party. Orders may be placed by the Commissioning Party in person at ATOMINIUM’s offices, or forwarded by post or fax. Should an order be forwarded by fax, the Commissioning Party is obliged to produce the original order at ATOMINIUM’s request.
Together with the first order for a translation, the Commissioning Party also forwards to ATOMINIUM an authorisation to issue invoices without the signature of the person authorised to receive them. Should the said authorisation be forwarded by fax, the Commissioning Party is obliged to produce the original within seven days. If the authorisation in question is valid for an unlimited period of time, the Commissioning Party is not obliged to forward other such authorisations when placing subsequent orders.
ATOMINIUM is not obliged to begin work on a translation if a correctly completed order has not been received. The exception to this provision are translations for those Commissioning Parties who have signed a long-term collaboration agreement with ATOMINIUM; on the strength of that agreement, every text forwarded for translation equates to the placing of an order without the necessity of completing the appropriate form, contingent upon the Commissioning Party’s having provided all the information essential to carrying out the assignment.
If, having received an order, ATOMINIUM does not notify the Commissioning Party, by the end of the day in question, of the impossibility of meeting it, this signifies that the said order has been accepted. For an order received after 3.00 PM, the Commissioning Party will be notified by 3.00 PM on the next working day if it cannot be met. ATOMINIUM is obliged to forward written confirmation of the order’s acceptance at the Commissioning Party’s request.
At the Commissioning Party’s request, before commencing the translation, ATOMINIUM will inform the former of the price of the services, on condition that it is always a price per unit, which is to say, per one standard page of translation or one hour of interpreting. ATOMINIUM can make a preliminary estimate of the translation’s volume and carry out an approximate calculation; however, the basis for the final settlement of the order is always the page count for the completed translation or the actual duration of an interpreting assignment, which will only be known once the service has been rendered.
§ 3 Rules for translation assignments
The Commissioning Party provides the text to be translated in the form of either a computer file or a hard copy. If the text provided by the Commissioning Party is in handwriting which is difficult to decipher, ATOMINIUM reserves the right, after prior agreement with the Commissioning Party, to increase the price of the translation by 30-50%.
ATOMINIUM delivers the translation of the text to the client as a Word for Windows file, or, at the Commissioning Party’s request, as a text or Excel file. Should it be necessary to deliver the translation in any other programme, ATOMINIUM reserves the right, after prior agreement with the Commissioning Party, to increase the price of the service, depending upon the time consumption involved in respect of the given programme. In the case of sworn (certified) translation, documents are delivered as hard copy.
The Commissioning Party collects sworn (certified) translations in person from ATOMINIUM’s offices. ATOMINIUM can forward the translation by post or courier, at the Commissioning party’s request. In the case of translations forwarded by post or courier, the cost is borne by the Commissioning Party. ATOMINIUM can forward standard translations to the Commissioning Party by e-mail or fax, as requested by the latter.
The basis for calculating the volume of a translation is the number of standard pages in the translated text. In the case of non-sworn (non-certified) translations, one standard page consists of 1,500 keystrokes, with spaces. In the case of sworn (certified) translations, it consists of 1,125 keystrokes, with spaces.
In the case of non-sworn (non-certified) translations, the volume of the translation is rounded up to the nearest half-page. In the case of sworn (certified) translations, it is rounded up to the nearest standard page.
After receiving the text to be translated, ATOMINIUM makes a preliminary estimate of the volume and, on the basis of that estimate, establishes with the Commissioning Party the type of translation the latter requires. There are three categories, as follows:
a) standard translation: up to 5 standard pages per day;
b) express translation: between 5.5 and 10 standard pages per day; the price will be 50% higher than for a standard-type translation;
c) super-express translation: over 10 standard pages per day; the super-express category also applies to any translation carried out on the day that it was ordered; the price will be 100% higher than for a standard-type translation.
When establishing the translation type and delivery date, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are not taken into account.
In the case of express and super-express translations, ATOMINIUM reserves the right to divide the text between two or more translators, which may result in terminological divergences.
In the case of texts containing drawings, diagrams, charts, schematics and so forth for which the Commissioning Party does not provide an electronic version making editing possible using the Microsoft Office packet, ATOMINIUM is not obliged to reproduce these elements in the translated text. However, in agreement with the client, ATOMINIUM establishes a format for the translation which will allow the Commissioning Party to assign the relevant sections of the translation to those sections of the text comprising parts of the drawings, diagrams, charts, schematics and so forth.
In the case of sworn (certified) translation, documents are delivered to the Commissioning Party as hard copy, with one copy being provided. At the Commissioning Party’s request, ATOMINIUM can make more copies of a sworn (certified) translation for an additional fee amounting to 20% of the price of the translation. Should the Commissioning Party order an additional copy of a sworn (certified) translation more than seven days after its completion, it is entitled to treat any such additional copy as a duplicate; the price will then amount to 50% of the translation price.
The translator should be provided with the original of a text for sworn (certified) translation, provided that the client has it in their possession. Should this not be the case, the translator makes an annotation on the translation to the effect that it was made on the basis of a copy.
All non-sworn (non-certified) translations are archived by ATOMINIUM and held for a period of at least twelve months.
§ 4 Rules for interpreting assignments
In the case of consecutive interpreting, the unit of calculation is an hour. The minimum rate for consecutive interpreting in any one day is the equivalent of the rate for two hours. Every hour of interpreting commenced is calculated as an entire hour.
In the case of simultaneous interpreting, the unit of calculation is a four-hour block. The minimum rate for simultaneous interpreting in any one day is the equivalent of the rate for four hours of work. Two translators participate in simultaneous interpreting. As an exception, if the simultaneous translation assignment does not exceed two hours, then, having reached an agreement with the Commissioning Party and the interpreter, ATOMINIUM may engage only one interpreter.
If the duration of the interpreting assignment exceeds eight hours in any one day, then 50% is added to the interpreter’s rate for the additional work. The rate is also 50% higher in the case of interpreting carried out on the day upon which the order is placed, as well as in the case of interpreting carried out at night, which is to say, after 8.00 PM, and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
The interpreter’s working time is calculated from the appointed hour, when they arrive at the site where the assignment is to be carried out, to the moment when the Commissioning Party releases them from the performance of their duties.
In the case of interpreting assignments carried out beyond Krakow, the Commissioning Party is obliged to cover the interpreter’s additional costs, which is to say, their travel costs, accommodation costs and the cost of their availability; this last is understood as being the time spent by the interpreter on travelling, the hourly rate for which, in this case, amounts to 50% of the interpreting rate. If the duration of the interpreting assignment exceeds two days and the interpreter is guaranteed eight hours work for each of those subsequent days, the Commissioning Party does not incur the interpreter’s availability cost, provided that their journey time to and from the site where the interpreting is carried out does not exceed eight hours.
When placing an order for interpreting services, the Commissioning Party notifies ATOMINIUM as to the assignment’s nature and subject matter. In the case of an assignment involving specialist subject matter, the Commissioning Party provides material which will assist the interpreter in preparing for the task.
In the case of simultaneous translation, the Commissioning party provides the programme of the conference and, as far as is possible, the list of participants and speakers’ texts in advance.
§ 5 Order cancellation
In the case of translations, the Commissioning Party has the right to cancel the order at any time. However, it is obliged to pay for that part of the translation which the translator has completed as at the moment of cancellation.
a) In the case of interpreting, where the planned duration of the assignment was less than one day in total, the Commissioning Party has the right to cancel the order without incurring any consequences no later than one working day before the work was due to be carried out. Should the cancellation occur on the same day as the assignment was due to take place, the Commissioning Party incurs costs amounting to 50% of the estimated value of the order, plus any additional costs in the case of interpreting assignments carried out beyond Krakow, cf. § 4, item 5.
b) In a case where the planned duration of the assignment amounts to between two and seven days, the Commissioning Party has the right to cancel the order without incurring any consequences no later than three working days before the work was due to be carried out. Should the cancellation occur at a later date, the Commissioning Party incurs costs amounting to 50% of the estimated value of the order.
c) In a case where the planned duration of the assignment amounts to more than seven days, the Commissioning Party has the right to cancel the order without incurring any consequences no later than seven working days before the work was due to be carried out. Should the cancellation occur at a later date, the Commissioning Party incurs costs amounting to 30% of the estimated value of the order.
The cancellation of an order should be made in writing.
§ 6 Confidentiality
ATOMINIUM undertakes to maintain the secrecy of any and all information obtained in connection with the carrying out of a translation, in particularwoth regard to the substance of the texts translated.
§ 7 Liability
For translations carried out, ATOMINIUM incurs a liability limited to the cost of the services performed.
ATOMINIUM is not liable for delays and shortcomings arising from circumstances beyond its control, such as events of force majeure, computer equipment failures, Internet and telephone connection failures and power cuts.
In the case of texts intended for publication, it is assumed that the Commissioning Party carries out the editorial and proofreading work on its own account unless this service is commissioned from ATOMINIUM.
ATOMINIUM is not liable for any substantive errors in a translation which are the consequence of errors occurring in the original text.
§ 8 Complaints
The Commissioning Party has the right to lodge a complaint in respect of a service rendered for up to seven days after its completion. The complaint must be made in writing and appropriately substantiated.
In a case where a complaint is recognised as valid, ATOMINIUM carries out a verification of the translation free of charge, or, having reached an agreement with the Commissioning Party, provides the latter with a discount to an amount corresponding to the scale of the errors made.
Complaints in respect of super-express translations are not given consideration.
§ 9 Rules for making payments
Payment is made for translations on the basis of an invoice issued by ATOMINIUM. The Commissioning Party makes the payment either at ATOMINIUM’s offices or by bank transfer to the account number given on the invoice. The deadline for payment expires on the seventh day after the invoice is issued.
The completed translation remains the property of ATOMINIUM until such time as the amount due has been settled by the Commissioning Party. Once the payment has been made, the Commissioning Party obtains the copyright to the translation.
If the invoice is forwarded to the Commissioning Party by post, then it is obliged to send back a legibly signed copy unless it has authorised ATOMINIUM to issue invoices without the signature of the person authorised to receive them.
Should the payment deadline be exceeded, ATOMINIUM has the right to calculate a contractual penalty at four times the Lombard credit rate.
ATOMINIUM reserves the right to collect an advance payment before commencing work on a translation.
§ 10 Final provisions
ATOMINIUM may undertake to carry out services under terms and conditions other than those set out in these regulations or the price list. The stipulation of such terms and conditions then follows in the form of an individual agreement between ATOMINIUM and the Commissioning Party.
For matters not provided for under these regulations, the provisions of the Civil Code and the Act on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights, of 4th February 1994 (Dz. U. [Journal of Laws No. 24, item 83 and as further amended), shall apply.
Any and all eventual disputes arising from this contract shall be decided in the applicable court. The Parties unanimously agree that the applicable law shall be the law of Poland and submit to the jurisdiction of the Polish courts.
§ 11 Legal notice
This website, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Website’, was created by ATOMINIUM. The contents are protected by the laws of copyright. The use of any data or information published herein for anything other than non-commercial purposes without the prior consent of ATOMNIUM is prohibited.
All the information included on the Website is available free of charge.
ATOMINIUM declares itself to be the owner of all the photographs published on the Website. Anyone wishing to have their photograph published on the Website consents to the transferral of both the photo(s) and the copyright thereto without payment. Any photographs thus transferred will be used solely under the ‘Gallery’ tab on the Website and will not be utilised for commercial purposes.
