Abstract
Many legal restrictions and regulations affect the built environment, but perhaps none are so influential as the vehicle of law, which exerts a powerful yet invisible web of requirement and restraint on all aspects of construction. A five-year international research program into the interface between the disciplines of law and architecture has recently focused on the field of copyright laws, statutory enactments which protect an author’s ideas from unauthorized use. While ostensibly a positive development in the creative realm which strengthens the rights of authors (including architects and designers) over their original ideas, research indicates a number of potential shortcomings and pitfalls not initially intended nor anticipated by the controlling legislative bodies. This paper explores the unforeseen outcomes of the enactment and enforcement of copyright laws in six countries. It examines the theoretical implications of copyright in fields as divergent as contextualism, historic preservation, arts and music, artificial intelligence and moral rights. Secondly, it addresses practical issues of implementation such as contracts, codes and a plethora of legal cases which have found resolution in the courts, with significant economic impact. Finally, the paper analyses the physical consequences of copyright enforcement, highlighting the power of the invisible web to shape the individual and collective construction of buildings, from the basic house to the broader urban environment.
Presenters
Robert GreenstreetProfessor and Dean Emeritus, Architecture, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Regulation, Law, Copyright, Originality, Architecture, Urban Environment
