----- Original Message -----
From: "David Pooley" <DPooley@...>

>I don't think anyone would (or could?) begrudge the re-use of terminology
>but translation memory is different. However, I don't think it's possible
>to split terminology and translation memory easily!

As you can tell from my previous note, I don't know if I agree with this.
Companies in some highly competitive industries may introduce new terms that
they don't want readily shared (or cheaply shared) by their competitors.

Lets pretend that Company X created a new self-cleaning computer screen, and
spent a lot of money to determine what the best term for the device in
various markets was. Maybe in France it would be called a "wiper screen", in
Japan a "sanitizing CRT", and in Russia a "pristine display." All of these
names could have been selected after doing market research to find out what
the optimal phrasing is to get the most positive consumer response.

Having gone to the time and expense of figuring this stuff out, the company
would not be particularly happy if the translation agency or translator goes
on to a job with their competitor, and blithely applies these terms to their
competing product.

As for the technology that goes into the product, the company may have
developed cutting edge methods for squirting cleaning fluid out of custom
designed pumps. Terms for these technological components may also be
considered proprietary, for the same reason.

Granted, this may sound like an extreme case, or an unlikely scenario, but
that's how many companies feel.