That's the key point. What is copyrighted is the artwork of the blueprint not the layout of the house its arrangement of rooms or construction practices. As long as he uses those plans as a guide for drawing his own detailed build plans, he will be fine legally. An exact photocopy would be a copyright infringement if it were used to build a house, he is usually allowed one for "fair use" practices (i.e. an example while drawing his own).
Now if you snagged an unauthorized electronic CAD copy of a blueprint and distributed it, that would piss someone off and you could be sued for stealing IP.
Sounds like something a lawyer would say.
How would YOU feel if someone stole YOUR work?
Stretch
You cannot claim to have a different plan by moving a light 1 inch. Read the plan that you want to copy, it doesn't have lights indicated by measurements, unless it has a special fit with other items such as cabinets. Most electrical items are just approximate locations where the electrician will install it in the general area depending on where the framing supports ended up.
Not so, tough guy. Most cases are civil matters, not criminal.
Baloney.
Reading an infringing copy is not another infringement. Making copies on your retinas doesn't count.
It is impossible to build something structural that is a copyright infringement.
Again, I defy you to show me a house with a circle-C on it.
Infringment is not theft, it is infringment.
If infringment is theft, then so is the normal expiration.
It breaks a law. Is that not criminal?
OK, I'm not going to contribute to the ongoing flamewar. I do, however, have a suggestion:
You've already got an architect on the payroll--why not hire a designer? It's not like you're going to save *that* much money if you're going to build a new house. If you have to, forego something you can add later--crown molding, fancy lighting or bathroom fixtures, etc. Spend the money on things you can't add later like design.
My wife and I had a general design in mind (what rooms adjacent to each other and on what floors), but we found it worthwhile to have someone with the experience and background to work out the gory details. Our builder charged us $1,600 to custom-design a ~2,000SF Cape Cod, and it was worth every penny.
No, not if it is a civil case, which is most all of them in practice.
Thanks for your response TM, that makes sense. I was recently thinking along those lines. Get the house designed and built with the sf and layout that I want, and live without a few finishing items for the time being.
It makes sense if you are going to complete them. Friends of our built their house about 18 years ago. Some closets still don't have doors. other rooms still missing trim. I guess the viability of it has much to do with your personality or the nagging ability of your wife.
Wrong. Copyright infringement *is* a crime, as you've admitted above ("most"). Many cases aren't tried as criminal cases, but some certainly are.
Granted, retinal copies don't count.
It's also pretty hard to build a house without several copies of the blueprints for subcontractors and various regulatory agencies.
Floor plans may be patented though. Such things are usually pretty weak patents, but it is possible.
OTOH, the Mona Lisa doesn't have a circle-C on it either. ;-)
Hmmm, Since when stealing is not a crime? Originality is considered property. Tony
The thieves believe they haven't stolen anything. The creator still has "it", dontchaknow.
For those who don't believe copyright infringement isn't a crime try Title 18, section 2319 of the United States Code:
Infringement is not equivalent to a crime. Most of it isn't.
The interesting thing is that Patent infringement is normally not a crime but copyright infringment IS a crime.
Breaking a law is not a crime? I may alter my lifestyle now and start taking money from banks instead of working.
Copyright law includes provisions for "fair use". Ever notice that every public library has a copy machine in it? Copying something (in and of itself) is seldom a problem. It depends on whether you profit or deprive the copyright holder of profit.
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