How do you protect architectural plans?

How do I protect my architectural drawings?

Best Practices: Protect Your Designs

1. Assert ownership of your work. …
2. Craft clear and detailed agreements with other parties regarding ownership, and put everything in writing. …
3. Don’t infringe on anyone else’s copyright.

How do you copyright architectural drawings?

To file a claim to copyright in an architectural work, you must submit the following to the Copyright Office: (1) a completed application form; (2) a nonrefundable filing fee; and (3) the required “deposit copies” of your work.

Is there copyright in architecture?

The author (or creator) of an artistic work is the owner of the copyright in that work. … As such, there is copyright in architects’ drawings, plans and models, and it is owned by the person who created those plans.

Can I sell my architectural drawings?

Architects and Non-Architects Can Own and Sell House Plans Online. Most would not see this as an investment opportunity but more of a way for an architect to earn supplemental income. … The majority of them sell for over $1000 per set.

How long does architectural copyright last?

Copyright in a design, whether registered under § 102(a)(5) or § 102(a)(8), generally gives an architect the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, display, and prepare a work based upon the design. This protection, unless the work is a work-made-for-hire, lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years.

Are architectural drawings intellectual property?

Architectural ideas are intellectual property just as much as a novel is the intellectual property of its author. … There are two IP protections architects could apply to their work: a copyright and a trademark.

Can you patent an architectural design?

The answer is a resounding YES! Building designs are protectable by both utility patents, which protect the functional aspects of a design, and design patents, which protect to ornamental features of a design. Many architectural firms actively protect their designs, both with utility patents and design patents.

Do architects own their designs?

Some building components may be patented, but the overall design cannot be. Thus, while architects and engineers may own their original models, drawings, and specifications, they do not own their designs. Copyrights belong to the author of the work, except works “for hire,” created as part of the author’s employment.

Which is not protected by trademark laws?

Logos, pseudonyms, and trade dress are all protected by trademark laws. However, book titles are rarely protected under trademark law because of judicial reluctance to protect titles that are used only once.

Can I sue my architect for taking too long?

The statute of limitations for suing a construction company or architect is six years. So in the case above, if it is seven years after construction is complete and after you first noticed the leak, then as per Colo. Rev/ Stat§ 13-80-104 you do not have a viable case.

Is it illegal to copy a house design?

House plans, including those produced by project home companies, are protected by copyright. Generally, a person who commissions someone to draw up a house plan has an “implied licence” to construct a building based on the plan – but this depends on the facts of the situation.