Builders and developers, take note!

Do you plan to build Donald A. Gardner house plans more than one time? Do you plan to use a selection of home plans multiple times for a new development?

As of October 1, 2007, Donald A. Gardner Architects offers a standard “unlimited license to build” with home plan purchases on reproducible vellum or AutoCAD on CDROM! By purchasing a house plan on vellum or CD, you are permitted to make as many copies of the plans as needed to build an unlimited number of homes. Our bond set plan packages (5 set paper & 8 set paper plan packages) will continue to be limited to one license to build and may not be copied or reproduced.

For home plans purchased on vellum or CD, a letter will accompany the plan package granting the plan purchaser the right to build the home an unlimited number of times, and giving a reproducer permission to copy the plans. This letter should be retained as long as the purchaser plans to build the home. If the vellum license letter is lost, a nominal replacement fee may be paid to secure a copy of the original document.

House plans purchased on vellum or CD are the easiest to modify for local code or personal customization requirements. However, regardless of the number of changes made to the home plan, Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc. retains the copyright to the design and all modified versions. For your protection, Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc. must be indicated as the copyright owner on the redrawn plans.

Please keep in mind that the unlimited license for the home plans does not grant the purchaser right, title or interest in the plans except for what is provided in the license agreement. This license is only granted to the purchaser of the home plans and the license may not be transferred or sold to a third party at any time.

When you modify a home plan, the new plan is considered a derivative of the copyrighted work. The copyright owner of the original work also owns the copyright to the derivative work. Even if changes are made to a plan and you want to build the home multiple times, you must pay the applicable reuse fees or have a license of the original plan to build the home multiple times. You must also display the copyright owner’s copyright notice when displaying the plan and/or derivative plan.

All stock plan providers have different policies regarding licenses to build their house plans and ignoring these policies can violate the house plan designers’ copyright. When purchasing a home plan, be aware of the policies you are agreeing to, and contact the home plan provider if you have any questions or concerns about the product you plan to purchase. Improper use of plans on vellum or CD may be a violation of the copyright act and may result in prosecution and fines of up to $150,000 per violation. For more information about home plans copyright, click here.

NOTE: House plan designs copyrighted by Allora, LLC (plans on this website numbered 5000 and up) do not offer an unlimited license option. Because Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc. {DAGA} acts as a plan broker for Allora home designs, DAGA does not set the policies for the sale of the plans and cannot offer an unlimited license for Allora plans.