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Can someone explain me how to copyright an architecture project? And is it common to do so? is it useful? Can this be applied by someone who is not architect?

To be more specifics, i would like to protect something that looks more like a conceptual house. Is it reasonable?

Do a search for copyright in the CGArchitect.com forum, it has been discussed there. You don't need to sign up to view the discussion but you do need to login to view images and post.

Copyright...? with internet that word sounds so old..

mate.. even by getting it build it remains hard to get the design ideas protected. The only copyright architects have is for their detail work not images of ideas... architects don't plagiarise they imitate.

http://whatwedoissecret.org/madebyblog/ ... anksy1.jpg

i'm not a legal expert, but so far: in many european countries, the author of any original (produced by yourself, not copied...) product is automatically the copyright holder and has a special right as the author/ originator of the product. in our region, in general, this basic right cannot be transferred. in some countries, like in germany, the right to be mentioned as the author is even mandatory.

the right for replication, reproduction, performance, etc. of this product are a different thing, which can (and should) be basically formulated within a contract with the client. in other regions things are handled differently, though, for example in the US, afaik an authors right or copyright can be transferred to another person/company. so there is a law to protect designs, but obviously sometimes it is difficult to demonstrate or even to get knowledge of someone copying your work. in certain regions, like UAE for example, copyright is something much more relative. did you ever see any image credit on any of those visualizations over there? fortunately, at least the architects are mentioned, but only sometimes...

nevertheless, many architects i'm working with, include a well visible disclaimer on all their printed or data output, which claims the authorship of the ideas and excludes any unauthorized reproduction or manipulation of it.

hope that helps.

markus

Thanks for all the answers.