Zastrzeenie

Zastrzeżenie is a formal term used in Polish law and formal documents to denote a proviso that restricts, qualifies, or limits a statement, obligation, or right. It functions as a caveat or disclaimer, indicating that certain aspects apply only under specified conditions or that liability, rights, or claims are limited.

The word derives from the verb zastrzec, meaning to reserve or to set aside, and it is widely used across legal, contractual, and administrative contexts. In everyday and professional Polish, it appears as a qualifier inserted into declarations, contracts, deeds, or official notices to preserve particular rights or to carve out exceptions from general rules.

In civil and commercial law, zastrzeżenie is commonly used to clarify conditions, exceptions, or limitations within agreements. It can define the scope of provided services, limit liability for certain types of damage, or reserve rights such as ownership or usage terms. In real estate, for example, a zastrzeżenie might specify conditions under which a property transfer occurs or note reservations related to encumbrances or easements. In intellectual property, the term is also used to refer to a claim or set of claims that delineate the scope of protection sought for an invention; Polish patent documents use zastrzeżenie to denote these claims.

Typical formulations include references to exceptions or conditions, such as statements made “with the zastrzeżenie of conditions specified below” or “zastrzeżone odpowiedzialności” to denote limited liability. The precise meaning of a zastrzeżenie depends on the document and jurisdiction, so it is interpreted in light of the surrounding provisions and applicable law.