1. Scope
These terms and conditions apply to contracts between the members of the interpreting team paraphrasis, Felix Pahl and Laura Appeltshauser, and their clients, unless otherwise expressly agreed or prescribed by law. The interpreting team paraphrasis is an association of freelance interpreters without joint and several liability.
Contracts are always concluded directly between the interpreter and the event organizer or the person whom the event organizer has duly entrusted with the contractual and financial responsibility for recruiting the interpreters.
The client’s terms and conditions are only binding for the interpreters if they have been expressly accepted.
2. Subject matter and conditions of the contract
(1) Service provision
The contract concerns interpreting services by the interpreting team paraphrasis. If agreed, the services may also extend to advisory functions and the translation of accompanying materials. The interpreters are self-employed, work independently and perform their tasks professionally, to the best of their knowledge and belief, on the basis of their skills and experience. They do not assume any further obligation. The interpreters independently determine the composition of the interpreting team and the internal distribution of work. Persons not belonging to the interpreting team may not be used to supplement the team or otherwise use the interpreting channels of the simultaneous interpreting system without prior consent.
(2) Order cancellation
The client may cancel the order up to four weeks before the date of the assignment; otherwise, cancellation fees will be charged (see Fees). If the interpreters themselves are prevented from attending, they shall inform the client immediately and arrange for a professional replacement subject to the same conditions.
In the event of force majeure, both the interpreters and the client shall be entitled to withdraw from the contract; the interpreters shall in any case be reimbursed for any expenses already incurred up to that point.
(3) Working conditions
The normal working hours are up to 3½ hours in the morning and 3½ hours in the afternoon. If they are exceeded, this must be announced in advance so that the interpreting team can be augmented by another colleague to ensure quality. Adequate breaks, including a lunch break of at least one hour, must be planned.
The requirements for fixed and mobile booths and simultaneous interpreting equipment are laid down in Parts 1 and 2 of the German norm DIN 56 924 (corresponding to the ISO standards 2603 and 4043, respectively) and in IEC 914. The interpreters must have a direct view of the speaker, the conference hall and any projection screens used.
The client is obliged to ensure that the interpreters can hear the texts to be interpreted with the best possible quality. This includes that the floor audio is transmitted directly to the interpreters’ ears via headphones. Suitable microphone systems must be used, and it must be ensured that each speaker uses the available microphones. It must also be ensured that the interpreted text reaches the listeners without disturbing the participants who are listening to the original.
If the technical possibilities turn out to be insufficient or the agreed technical support is not provided, the interpreters shall be released from their obligation to perform until the problem has been remedied. The interpreters shall not be responsible for the technical operation of interpreting facilities (interpreting booths, tour guide systems) unless otherwise agreed.
(4) Client’s duty to cooperate
Without being requested to do so and in good time, the client shall provide the interpreting team with all information and documents that the interpreters require for preparing the content and terminology. If the client is unable to provide the documents, she shall support the interpreters in contacting the speakers of the lectures to be interpreted so that they can inform themselves about the contents to be interpreted or obtain preparation materials themselves.
3. Fees and terms of payment
(1) Remuneration for interpreting services
Unless otherwise agreed, interpreting services shall be billed at daily rates (or half daily rates), which also cover the remuneration for preparing the content and terminology as well as the planning and coordination of the interpreting assignment.
(2) Remuneration for other services
If further services are provided by the interpreting team paraphrasis (e.g. advice and recommendations, translation), these will be remunerated separately.
(3) Cancellation fee
Cancellations made four weeks or more before the assignment date are subject to the following cancellation fees: 25% (4 – 1 week before the assignment date), 50% (6 – 3 days before the assignment date) or 75% (less than 3 days before the assignment date).
(4) Travel expenses and travel day fees
Unless otherwise agreed, travel expenses from the interpreter’s place of residence to the place of assignment and back will be reimbursed (second-class train, car, public transport). If the interpreters have to travel to or from the venue on the previous or following day and are therefore unable to accept other assignments, a travel day fee will be charged.
(5) Board and lodging
If the interpreting assignment requires one or more overnight stays, any hotel costs incurred shall be reimbursed by the client; this may also take the form of a flat-rate accommodation fee. If the interpreters are not catered for together with other participants in the event, a catering fee will also be charged.
(6) Terms of payment
Unless otherwise agreed, outstanding invoices shall be settled no later than four weeks after invoicing.
4. Liability
The interpreting team paraphrasis undertakes to carry out the assignment with the highest possible quality. The interpreters are only liable for intent and gross negligence. Liability for consequential damage is excluded. If the client fails to provide documents in good time or in sufficient quantity, the interpreters shall not be liable for inadequate quality of the interpreting services.
5. Copyright
The interpreting service is exclusively intended for immediate listening. Recording of the interpreting service is only permitted with the prior consent of the interpreters. Additional remuneration shall accrue for the grant of the rights of use, the amount of which shall depend on the type of use.
6. Confidentiality
The interpreters undertake to treat all information that comes to their knowledge in the course of their work as strictly confidential and not to derive any benefit from it.
7. Applicable law
The contractual relationship between the client and the interpreter is subject to German law. The place of jurisdiction for all disputes shall be the place where the order is accepted (Berlin or Leipzig).
If parts of these terms and conditions are or become invalid, the validity of the remaining parts shall not be affected.
