# Forum More Stuff Debate & Technical Discussion  Copyright & house extension plans

## bmartin

We engaged a draftsman a while ago to draw up some plans to my spec and design for an extension. All was well. We were unhappy with one part of the house and sought advice from an architect, obstensibly for design points on the other end of the house.  ... [edit out the long story] ... when the snowball had stopped and the dust had cleared and we regained some common sense, we do not want the wonderful edifice and the squillion dollar cost of the architect's beautiful vision. 
Here's the point. We would like the extension originally drawn up by the draftsman at one end and we want elements of the architect's design at the other. What's the copyright implication of using the parts of the architect's design and getting the draftsman to incorporate these into the original drawings? 
I plan to speak with the architect about this and work through it. I am just preparing myself in advance for the onslaught of enthusiasm for perfection in design by the architect, and looking at his from all angles. [subtext: the architect does not listen to what we want.]

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## chrisp

I don't know - but if you have paid both, you should have 'rights' to use both designs.  Therefore you should be able to mix-and-match as you please.

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## dib

I think that Chrisp is right that you have the rights to use both.  Unfortunately, if you are submitting plans to council you cant say Im going to use different parts from different drawings. So if either the draftsman or the architect "redraw" the others work they are infringing on the others copyright.  So you really should get permision.  Having said that I think the likelyhood of being sued over it is very very unlikely if you have already paid something to the Architect.

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## watson

:Wat they said: 
Big scanner...Copy & paste.......viola!!! a composite that you've already paid for.

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## shannon_t

As long as you have paid in full. A design is your property, because you have paid for that service for your land. Thats my understanding as i have come across the same problem. If you used the design somewhere else you could get in trouble.

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## intertd6

> As long as you have paid in full. A design is your property, because you have paid for that service for your land. Thats my understanding as i have come across the same problem. If you used the design somewhere else you could get in trouble.

  I would be checking the fineprint of the architects contract & the copyright details of the 
plans before doing anything that could be extremely expensive being sorted out in court.
You definately dont own the design, you have paid for the use of it for its intended pupose.
regards inter

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