Copyright Policy |
House Plan Central.com copyrights each of its
designs in an effort to better control the quality and liability of our
work. Please read through our copyright section to ensure that you do
not perform activities with our designs that are in violation of
copyright laws.
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All home plans present on this site are protected by
copyright. Reproduction of these home plans, either in whole or
in part, including any form and/or preparation of derivative
works thereof, for any reason without prior written permission
is strictly prohibited. |
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The purchase of a set of home plans in no way transfers any
copyright or other ownership interest in it to the buyer except
for a limited license to use that set of home plans for the
construction of one, and only one, dwelling unit. The purchase
of an additional set (s) of that home plan at a reduced price
from the original set or as part of a multiple set package does
not convey to the buyer a license to construct more than one
dwelling. Similarly, the purchase of reproducible home plans
carries the same copyright protection as mentioned above. It is
generally allowed to make up to a maximum of 10 copies for the
construction of a single dwelling only. To use any plans more
than once, and to avoid any copyright licenses infringement, it
is necessary to contact the plan designer to receive a release
and a license for any extended usage. Whereas a purchaser of
reproducible is granted a license to make copies, it should be
noted that as copyright material, making photocopies from
blueprints is illegal. Copyright and licensing of home plans for
construction exist to protect all parties. It respects and
supports the intellectual property of the original architect or
designer. Copyright law has been reinforced over the past few
years. Willful infringement could cause settlements for
statutory damages up to $100,000.00 plus attorney fees, damages
and loss of profits. |
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Plans MAY NOT be used to build more than one house.
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All home plans include a copyright release and a license to
use the documents to construct a single home. When you purchase
construction documents, we, as licensor, are granting to you, as
licensee, the right to use the documents to construct a single
unit. This is an exclusive license, which may not be resold,
duplicated, published or distributed without written permission
of the designer, architect or publisher. |
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Reproducing Blueprints
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Construction blueprints may not be reproduced without prior
written consent of the designer or publisher. If additional sets
are required for estimating or construction, please contact us
for additional sets at a nominal cost. Copy shops and
blueprinters are prohibited from making copies of these
copyrighted documents. |
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Making Design Modifications
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As a plan licensee, you may customize the design to fit your
personal preferences, but you must understand that the
modification of the plan is performed at your own risk and
should be reviewed by a professional architect, home designer or
engineer prior to the start of construction. Modified plans are
considered "derivative works" of the original, and it is
critical that you understand that these "derivative works," as
well as the original work, still retain copyright protection.
Any "derivative work" or revised design, even if completely
redrawn, may not be sold, duplicated, distributed or used to
construct any units without the purchase of a license from the
publisher, architect or designer. |
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Copying Designs / Plans from other media (i.e. web sites,
publications, electronic mediums, etc)
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It is illegal to copy home designs found in any plan book,
on a CD-ROM or on the Internet. It is a common misunderstanding
that it is permissible to copy, adapt or change a floor plan or
a design found in this book. It is definitely not. It is also
illegal to copy any existing home that may have been built, that
is protected by copyright, even if you have never seen the plans
for the home. If a particular home plan or existing home is
desired, a set of plans must be purchased from an authorized
source. |
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Using the Home Plans:
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As a plan licensee, you may lend the home plans to third
parties (builders, contractors, sub-contractors, inspectors,
governmental agencies, etc.) as necessary to assist in the
construction of the dwelling involved. All such "lent" plans
must be retrieved and destroyed, except for the owner's
reference sets, and those sets required by governmental
agencies, after such assistance has been completed. |
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Who is responsible for COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT?
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All parties, including the purchasers, designers, drafters,
home owners, builders, contractors, sub-contractors, copy shops
and blueprinters may be responsible if a copyright is violated.
It does not matter whether an individual knows that a violation
is being committed. You've heard it before: ignorance of the law
is not a valid defense! To avoid legal complications and
damages, it is critical that you be certain of the original plan
source, and refuse to be a party to any illicit copying or
borrowing of designs, derivative works, prints and design
features. |
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PLEASE RESPECT House Plan Central.com'S COPYRIGHTS
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In the event of any suspected violation of a copyright, or
if there is any uncertainty about the plans purchased, the
publisher, architect or designer should be contacted before
proceeding. If a violation of a home designer's copyright is
suspected, House Plan Central.com, the designer or architect,
and the Council of Publishing Home Designers should be
contacted. Awards are sometimes offered for information about
home design copyright infringement |
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PENALTIES FOR INFRINGEMENT:
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Penalties for violating a copyright may be very severe. The
responsible parties are required to pay the designer or
architect's actual damages (which may be substantial), plus any
profits made. The copyright law also allows the designer or
architect to recover statutory damages, which may be as high as
$100,000. Finally, the infringer may be required to pay the
architect or designer's reasonable legal fees, which often
exceed the damages.
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FEATURED PLANS
HPC-1836-14
HPC-2144-14
HPC-1900-1
HPC-1745-14
HPC-1625-1
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