Companies that sell harmful products must be very cautious about the way they position their offerings and market their brand. Entities that distribute such products in foreign countries could be accused of misleading consumers in regards to the dangers associated with the usage of their products. If brought to court, such businesses must be prepared to present their documents in the host country’s official language. For this purpose they will need legal translation services from a professional with many years of experience. They cannot simply depend on a translator who has never translated documents for courts. The translator must also be knowledgeable of vocabulary related to the industry that the defendant operates in and follow the guidelines of the court for the certification of translation.
Translators with extensive experience in legal translation services can handle the task of translating the documents you want to take to court with you. In a recent legal battle the Ontario government sued several domestic and foreign tobacco manufacturers. The province’s lawsuit was an attempt to collect compensation for the cost of medical treatment for patients that suffered from lung cancer. Some companies that were sued were based in other countries such that their evidence and other supporting documents had to be translated before it could be submitted to the court. The tobacco companies lost the lawsuit and were ordered to pay billions of dollars in damages. The lawsuit was brought against the firms because the government claimed that they had withheld information from the public about the risks associated with smoking.
The language of the ads suggested that the products were safer than they actually were. Translators who deliver legal translation services cannot comment on whether the ad will be considered controversial. However, mistranslations can turn a fine ad into a troublesome one. This is one reason that foreign companies should be extra careful about their choice of translators. If the original version of an ad accurately described the side effects of the product and the translation was misleading the company will still be held liable. For the translation of their promotional materials it is not required that they reach out to a translator who provides legal translation services but a lawyer who speaks the target language fluent should be given the chance to review the translation to make sure that the message won’t cause legal problems. The tobacco companies got themselves into trouble because it seemed as if they had geared their marketing efforts towards the youths, knowing the products would negatively impact their health. Finally, the Ontario court found the companies guilty of misrepresenting the risks associated with smoking.
