We get this question at least once a week. A homeowner or builder walks into their local copy shop and asks for either full or partial copies of their home plan. The reputable reprographic shop owner tells the customer that he can’t copy the plans because they are copyrighted. Of course the homeowner is frustrated, after all he just needs one more set or he needs to send one page out to a project bidder, etc and so he calls the designer seeking an explanation or a copyright release so he can copy the plans. In most cases, he is able to obtain additional legal copies directly from the designer, but there is still a frustration factor and unless the designer is given the opportunity to explain the reasons why, the customer leaves with a bad taste in their mouth.
There is a plethora of legal jargon on the internet to answer this question (included our own website) but the real question should be: How does photocopying home plans endanger your interests as the homeowner or home builder? Let’s try to explain this for you. keep reading »
