Understanding Copyrighting

Federal copyright laws protect all architects and designers house plans that are sold through Direct from the Designers. Just like movies, books and music, copyright laws prevent anyone other the copyright owner from reproducing, modifying or reusing the product without the permission of the copyright owner.

What you should know about our copyrights:

• The blueprints may not be lent, given away or sold by the purchaser.
   
• It is illegal to make copies, modify or reproduce in any form, the blueprints, plans, drawings or any other related artwork without the written consent of the designer/architect.
   
• When purchasing a house plan, you are licensed to build a single home from the house plan. Building more than one home from the house plan without written permission is an infringement of the designer's copyright. To build more than one home, you will need to purchase the appropriate house plan package.
   
• You cannot modify or redraw house plans, beyond making non-structural changes by red-lining the purchased blueprints. If you need to make structural changes you will need to pay for modifications from the designer/architect or purchase a set of reproducibles, which includes a license to modify the house plan.
   
• You cannot sell or reuse a house plan that you have been licensed to modify, because it still falls under the original designer's copyright. The designer is NOT responsible for any errors that may come from a plan that is modified by anyone other than the original designer.
   
• Penalties for violating a copyright may be severe. The responsible parties are required to pay the designer's actual damages plus any profits made. The copyright law also allows the designer to recover statutory damages, which can be as high as $100,000 per infringement. Finally, the infringer can be required to pay the designer's reasonable attorney fees, which often exceed the damages.
   

We are only making you aware of the general copyright policies presented to you by our architects and designers. This information is for your benefit when purchasing the right plan package for you. We recommend that you purchase enough plans to complete your home building project.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please do not hesitate to contact us toll free at 877-895-5299 or email us at admin@dfdhouseplans.com.