TAUS and Baker McKenzie Publish White Paper on ‘Who Owns My Language Data’

Amsterdam, 10 February 2020 - TAUS, a pioneer in the language data space, and Baker McKenzie, the global law firm, have jointly published the Who Owns My Language Data White Paper. The White Paper is co-authored by Wouter Seinen, Partner at Baker McKenzie and Jaap van der Meer, Founder, and Director at TAUS. This document provides a blueprint for managing language data ownership within the translation industry.

In their joint white paper, Baker McKenzie and TAUS address concepts that form part of the legal foundation for sharing language data, and share takeaways from their brainstorming sessions. They shed light on topics ranging from the copyright on language data, individual segments, and copyright in practice to GDPR applications and geographical scope. 

Reflecting on the findings and recommendations contained in the white paper, Baker McKenzie partner Wouter Seinen said: “We explain a number of international concepts of international intellectual property and data protection law and apply them to language data issues experienced in daily practice.”

TAUS Director Jaap van der Meer noted that “questions around privacy of language data are becoming particularly pressing now that Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are playing such a major role in business processes of all kinds.” He added that “as the language data network, TAUS is proud to have provided definitions for actors involved in this issue together with guidelines on the legal and practical limits of language data ownership.”

The white paper is available as a downloadable PDF on the TAUS website and comes with a one-page infographic version.

ABOUT TAUS

TAUS, the language data network, is an independent and neutral industry organization. We develop communities through a program of events and online user groups and by sharing knowledge, metrics, and data that help all stakeholders in the translation industry develop a better service. We provide data services to buyers and providers of language and translation services.

The shared knowledge and data help TAUS members decide on effective localization strategies. The metrics support more efficient processes and the normalization of quality evaluation. The data lead to improved translation automation.

TAUS develops APIs that give members access to services like DQF, the DQF Dashboard, and the TAUS Data Market through their own translation platforms and tools. TAUS metrics and data are already built into most of the major translation technologies.

For more information about TAUS, please visit: https://www.taus.net

ABOUT Baker McKenzie

With 77 offices in 46 countries and over 6,000 lawyers worldwide, Baker McKenzie is one of the largest law firms in the world by headcount and revenue. As a truly global full-service firm, Baker McKenzie has always had a strong focus on technology, media, and communications law. One of its objectives is to stay 'ahead of the curve' and this is why Baker McKenzie has a particular interest in teaming with organizations and institutions that operate at the forefront of innovation. The lawyers and advisers at Baker McKenzie have a deep understanding of the culture of business the world over and are able to bring the talent and experience needed to navigate complexity across practices and borders with ease. Baker McKenzie is trying to be different from other law firms by combining an instinctively global perspective with a genuinely multicultural approach, enabled by collaborative relationships and yielding practical, innovative advice.