Copyright on existing house plans
House designs advertised in newspapers are generally protected by copyright. Project builders who employ designers generally produce copyrighted house designs. Any person using these designs without the permission of the copyright owner may face legal action.
If you have seen a design in the newspaper that you like, you can approach the builder who placed the advertisement in the newspaper. Keep in mind that advertisements provide little detail, so ask lots of questions and note what is, and is not, included in the package.
The builder's designer can modify their design to accommodate any specific requirements that you may have. These modified designs are also likely to be protected by copyright.
No matter how much you like the design, ensure first that it is compatible with the block of land you have selected. Many project builders offer home and land packages where the home designs have been specially selected to fit on the blocks available.
Remember that once you have selected a home, any changes required by you after construction has begun will be subject to the variation process of the contract and may be expensive and cause delays.
Copyright
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Information on copyright for the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs website is provided on behalf of South Australia Central http://www.sacentral.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=60
Disclaimer
Information on the disclaimer for the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs website is provided on behalf of South Australia Central http://www.sacentral.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=61
Privacy
The South Australian Office of Consumer and Business Affairs (OCBA) is committed to protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information, consistent with the South Australian Government's Information Privacy Principles. If you would like to view the full privacy statement please visit: http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/privacy.html
Webmaster
If you wish to provide feedback on the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs website please contact the Webmaster via email mailto:webmaster@agd.sa.gov.au
Accessibility
Information on accessibility for the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs website can be viewed at: http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/accessibility.html
