Copyright

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Author Message Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 439 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 10:38 pm:    Looking for information on how to copywright forms/checklists that we issue on our jobs? Is there an easy website for this? Long long does it take and how much does it cost? Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 531 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 11:05 pm:    Everything created has a copyright and doesn't need any formal recording. The use of the circled "c" or the word "copyright" on the document will help in notifying others that the document is copyrighted. However, if you want to formally register something as copyrighted material, check out this website: http://www.copyright.gov/register/ Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 440 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 12:19 am:    Thanks Ron (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 01:05 am:    For a good treatment of copyrighting check out the book by Nolo Press at www.nolo.com. David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 917 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 01:06 pm:    Okay this begs the question. Jerome, why would you want to copyright a form or checklist for a specific job? David J. Wyatt Senior Member Username: david_j_wyatt_csi_ccs_ccca Post Number: 79 Registered: 07-2005 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 03:06 pm:    Claiming copyright is one issue. Enforcing it is another. As to the former, in this world of sharing and borrowing ideas, it is not very clear whose intellectual property we are working with at any given time. As to the latter, chasing down plagiarists is expensive and not often successful - something I would rather have my competitors doing with their time. Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 441 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 04:12 pm:    David To answer you question, it would be nice if all my clients were loyal, but some go shopping around for lower price specs and get them from less qualified 'specwriters'. I am finishing work on a Quality Control form that I've been working on for years, so I want to at least copyright it so maybe it will prevent others for using it. I am stipulating that the form is to be used on projects where we are providing specifications...I don't know if a copyright will protect my work, but I figure its worth a shot. Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 710 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 04:18 pm:    Jerome, look at the copyright page of some books and you'll see the limits usually placed under the copyright, as to re-use. As David Wyatt said, enforcement is messy and costly if undertaken, but often enough just the circled c will fend off ill-minded folks. Copyright to you personally, I'd counsel; not to a project specifically as that restricts even your use. Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 242 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 07:51 pm:    One issue with formally copyrighting is reproduction. Most print houses will not copy such material. This could be sticky if the forms, etc. are to be bound in the Project Manual. I recently had this happen with an outside consultant (hired by the owner) who copyrighted his entire section. It required him to print all of the copies we needed for distribution and was issued separately from the rest of the Project Specifications. Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 532 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 11:20 pm:    That can be easily overcome by adding a provision in the Architect-Consultant Agreement that the architect has a license to reproduce the consultant's work directly related to the project. Marc C Chavez Senior Member Username: mchavez Post Number: 243 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 11:27 am:    See Sept 07 "Architect" mag. page 47 for "copyright 101" article.