Intellectual Property

Architecture is probably the only field that doesn't required design patent to be enforced into the making of building's aesthetics. If aesthetics purely come from intuition, we dont have to dispute about design copyright right? WRONG!

I might be wrong but more architects need to be in touch with their business nature and be resilient about design matters. Maybe Intellectual Property can be the answer to making every city distinct in their own unique way.

What is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.
Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.

Why should we get an IP?

In these days of overnight celebrity, we might want to have a bit of our own to hold on to. Be it a work of art, a piece of poem, a brand name coined yesterday or even a colour. Of course this IP thing came to me when someone told me that apparently he/she should've been a millionaire because of this ideas or because of that design. Things like that happens, and to prevent that, IP is the answer.

Is Architecture included in Copyright?

YES! Architecture is included - "works of applied art; illustrations, maps, plans, sketches and three-dimensional works relative to geography, topography, architecture or science." So this means architects can claim their special details and beautiful drawings from being copied. I've known a few cases where an employer caught a 'design plagiarism' when a former employee designed a house using principles the previous employer used. The employee got promoted and the former employer just get upset by the copycatting.

So what is our take?

Architects has to work towards producing more of their own than 'copy and paste' method or reduce the usage of 'refer to manuf. details' in their drawings. I have worked with an architect who stressed that architects should establish their own details for a building project. Well, my rationale is that if the building project is small and managable, it will be crazy not to handcraft the project, but if the building project needs more man energy and help to finish it, might as well do the most practical we can think of.

So for more info, please read the links. Intellectual Property might be availabe in your country too. Cheers readers!

Links

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property - General Idea about IP
2. http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/ - IP in Australia by the Government
3. http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/ - World IP Organization