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国際契約英文法ー1つの文には1つの主題(2)

長くても読みやすい契約書の実例

1つの文章の主題を1つに限定した売買契約の実例を、このサイトの末尾にあげておきます。

細かく見てみましょう

例として8.1.1条の全文を取り上げて、細かく見てみましょう。

8.1.1
The Seller gives a warranty for all delivered Products 360 days from the date of the delivery.
・主語が1つです。

If during this period defects in the Products are revealed, the Seller shall repair or replace, free of charge, any part proven defective in material, performance, or workmanship; but lost or potential lost in earning due to the defects of the Product will not be compensated.
・'If' から始まる文章なので、異なる主語が出てきても障害になりません。
・'but' で接続されている文章なので、異なる主語でも読みやすさを妨げることはありません。セミコロンも助けになります。

For the avoidance of doubt, the Buyer shall pay the inbound shipping and the Seller will pay the return shipping charges for any Products required to be replaced or repaired.
・'and' を使った重文です。前後で主語は違いますが、主題は一貫しているので、読みにくさはありません。

The Buyer shall bear all and any additional costs incurred due to incorrect or incomplete delivery information provided by the Buyer and all and any risks of loss or damage to the Product, or the parts or components of the Products during the transportation period (including the transportation period when the Product is sent to the Seller and returned by the Seller to the Buyer).
・主語は1つです。かっこ内は切り離されているので、問題にはならないでしょう。

・では主題はどうでしょうか。文章の骨組みはこうです。
The Buyer shall bear
all and any additional costs …(①とします)
and
all and any risks of loss or damage … (… the Product …).(②とします)

前半は、買主の不正確な引渡情報に起因する追加費用(①)の負担について、後半は商品、またはその部品の滅失・損傷の危険(②)の負担について規定してあります。

起草者の意図は:
① 引渡情報が不正確だったら、追加コストは買主が負担せよ
② その場合の商品の滅失・損傷のリスクも買主負担である
ということでしょう。'bear' という動詞の目的語として2つのことが並列されています

一読してそう読み解ければ特に問題はないのですが、2度読み直した方もいるのではないでしょうか(私もです)。問題は ’and’ の後の 'all and any risks' が主語なのか、それ以外なのかがすぐ分からないことにあるようです。

(寄り道です)そもそもこの契約は EXW条件なので(下記 3. TRADE TERM 参照)、②部分は言わずもがなと言えないこともありません。

それはそれとして、’and’ が出てきた時点で、「’and’ の前後で同じ要素は何なのか」がよく分かるようになっていればよかったのです。

どうすればよくなるでしょう。一番簡単なのはそこで文章を分けることです。そうすれば自動的に主語が1つ、主題が1つになるからです。この方法はとても役に立つのでぜひ覚えておいて下さい。(☚これがポイント)

The Buyer shall bear all and any additional costs …  The Buyer shall bear all and any risks of loss or damage … (…).

一文で書こうとするなら、こんな工夫もあるでしょう。
The Buyer shall bear all and any additional costs … and, in addition, all and any risks of loss or damage … (…).

and’ の直後に警告の旗を揚げて、記憶力が更新されるようにするのです。つまり ’in addition’ とあれば「さらに何かあるのだな」ということが分かり、それ以降とそれ以前が有機的に結びつくからです。これは主題が同じだから可能なことです。'and, furthermore' とも言えるでしょう。

もとの契約書

では契約書の原文を見て下さい。これは売買契約です。

売買契約としての性質をよく表している部分を残して、作文的に参考にならないところは省略しました。その結果ここにあげたものは全体の約20%程度の量です。

       INTERNATIONAL SALES CONTRACT
 
This INTERNATIONAL SALES CONTRACT (the “Contract”) is made between the Seller and the Buyer … on … (the “Product”) … 
 
1. PRODUCT & DELIVERY
1.1 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS & PRICE LIST.

 
1.4 The Total Price of this Contract will be adjusted according to the final shipment mix of the Product’s model, the Product’s total TH performance and the unit price for each TH as specified in Article 1.1 of this Contract. …
 …
 
2. PAYMENT & THE PAYER’S ACCOUNT.
The Buyer shall pay the total payment ($ …)  before 15 January 2022.
 
3. TRADE TERM.
EXW  To: …, Port of Loading: …, Shipping Address: …, Shipping Method:…, Delivery Date : depending on the actual logistic availability in January 2022 …
 
4. BUYER’S OBLIGATIONS.
4.1 The payer of the payment shall be the Buyer of this Contract. …
 
4.2 The Buyer represents and warrants that it possesses all licenses, permits and other authorizations that are necessary or required for the lawful conduct of its business ...

 
5. DELIVERY.
5.1 Trade Term in this Contract is based on Incoterms 2010 …
 …
 
5.3 All delivery dates are approximate …  The Seller shall not be liable for any damages of any kind resulting from delay in delivery.
 
5.4 If the Seller fails to deliver the Products before the latest delivery date agreed in this Contract, the Seller shall have the right to terminate this Contract ...  Upon termination of this Contract due to failure of the Seller described in this Article 5.4, the Seller will refund to the Buyer all the amount paid by the Buyer ...
 …
 
6. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE.
 
The Buyer shall notify the Seller in writing on the day of receiving the Products … (the “Arrival Date”).  The Buyer shall examine the Products as soon as possible after the Arrival Date and shall notify the Seller in writing of any lack of conformity of the Products within 3 days from the date when the Buyer discovers or ought to have discovered the lack of conformity.  In any case the Buyer shall have no remedy for lack of conformity if it fails to notify the Seller thereof within 15 days from the Arrival Date.  The Products will be deemed as consistent with the agreement by both Parties if the Buyer fails to do so in the above-mentioned inspection and acceptance period.
 
7. CLAIM.
7.1 Any claim by the Buyer concerning to the Products … shall be filed within 30 days after the Arrival Date ...
  …
 
8. WARRANTIES.
8.1 The Seller’s Warranties
 
8.1.1 The Seller gives a warranty for all delivered Products 360 days from the date of the delivery.  If during this period defects in the Products are revealed, the Seller shall repair or replace, free of charge, any part proven defective in material, performance, or workmanship ...
 
8.1.2 The exclusions of the Seller’s warranty …
 
8.1.3 Other than the express warranties set forth in this Contract, the Seller disclaims all other … warranties, express or implied ...
 
8.2 The Buyer’s Warranties
 …
 
9. COMPLIANCE & SANCTIONS.
9.1 The Buyer undertakes that it will fully comply with all applicable laws in relation to export and import controls …
 
9.2 The Buyer … shall not export, re-export, transfer or otherwise release Products …, directly or indirectly, to or for …
 
9.3 The Buyer undertakes that it will not take any action under this Contract or use the Product(s) in a way that will be a breach of any anti-money laundering laws, any anti-corruption laws, and/or any counter-terrorist financing laws.

 
10. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
10.1 The Parties agree that the intellectual property rights in … the Product(s) … shall be the exclusive property of the Seller …

 
11. LIABILITY FOR BREACH.
11.1 ... Except as otherwise provided in this Contract, if either Party fails to perform or partially performs its contractual obligations, it shall be liable for such breach and shall compensate all losses resulting thereof to the other Party.
 
11.2 If the Buyer cancels the order …, the Seller shall have the right to deduct all the Buyer’s payment … and the Seller shall also have the right to refuse to perform the delivery obligation under this Contract.
 …
 
11.4 If the Buyer delays in the payments, it shall pay compensation to the Seller …  The Seller has the right to terminate this Contract if the delay exceeds 30 days and to hold the Buyer to be liable for breach of contract under this Article 11 of this Contract.
 …
 
11.6 If there are damages or losses in the Buyer due to the quality or delivery of the Products, the Buyer’s remedies are limited to the repair or replacement under the Seller’s warranties.  Any other … warranty or liability relating to the condition or use of the Product are specifically disallowed …

 
12. FORCE MAJEURE.
... Under all the conditions of force majeure, the Seller will not be responsible for the delay and failure of delivery or any problems of the quality of the Products.
 
13. APPLICABLE LAW AND JURISDICTION.
13.1 This Contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of People’s Republic of China ...
 
13.2 Any disputes arising from or in connection with this Contract shall be submitted to China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”) in Beijing, China for arbitration …
 
14. ATTORNEYS’ FEES.
 
15. CONFIDENTIALITY.
 
16. PERSONAL DATA
 
17. MISCELLANEOUS.

 
17.2 This Contract shall constitute the entire agreement of both Parties ...
 
17.3 If any provision of this Contract is held to be invalid or unenforceable …, then that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible in conformance with the intent of the parties, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
 
17.4 For matters not covered in this Contract, both Parties shall enter into a written supplementary contract ...
 
17.5 The Seller may freely assign or transfer any of its rights, benefits or obligations under this Contract ... The Buyer may not assign or transfer … without the Seller’s prior written consent.
 …
 
(Signature Page of this INTERNATIONAL SALES CONTRACT)

1つの文章では主語を1つにし、記載事項を1つの主題に限定する。そして関係する事項を1つの条項にまとめる、という原則を守れば長い契約書でも、読みやすさが確保されることがお分かりいただけたと思います。

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