Zeichen

English translation: reference (in a business letter)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Zeichen
English translation:reference (in a business letter)
Entered by: John Speese

20:32 Mar 23, 2020
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Law/Patents - Law: Patents, Trademarks, Copyright
German term or phrase: Zeichen
At the top of a statement of defense prepared by a patent law firm, the include the following before listing the plaintiff and the defendants:
"Ihr Zeichen: 2 O 134/19
Unser Zeichen: R09121KL / MS"

After this listing, which designates the case, they identify themselves by name, list the first "Zeichen" again underneath that, and then proceed with their argument.

What does Zeichen mean here? I understand that this question has been asked before on this forum with reference to patent law, and people have suggested "logo". Does that still sound correct here, where it does not appear to be in reference to what I typically think of as a logo?
flaggthecat
Local time: 10:49
reference
Explanation:
I translate it as "your reference" or "your ref." It appears very often in this context and I've been translating it this way for a number of different clients for many years. I've attached a sample business letter as a web reference.
Selected response from:

John Speese
United States
Local time: 11:49
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4reference
John Speese


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
reference


Explanation:
I translate it as "your reference" or "your ref." It appears very often in this context and I've been translating it this way for a number of different clients for many years. I've attached a sample business letter as a web reference.


    Reference: http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/MED-Magazine/November20...
John Speese
United States
Local time: 11:49
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  AllegroTrans
52 mins

agree  jccantrell: Yep.
1 hr

agree  Steffen Walter: "Your ref." / "Our ref."
11 hrs

agree  Rachel Goodwin
13 hrs
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