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ARTICLE · 01 SEPTEMBER 2015

Copycat building is copyright infringement, says court

Clayton Utz
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The court ordered a home-owner to strip out architectural features after finding that the design had infringed copyright.

AustraliaIntellectual Property
Mary Still
Mary Still
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Key Points:

The court has ordered a home-owner to strip out architectural features after finding the house was an infringement of copyright.

A shared taste for French provincial architecture with tropical flourishes has raised a few interesting issues in the application of copyright law to building designs, particularly remedial orders (Coles v Dormer [2015] QSC 224).

Mr and Mrs Spicer had some detailed plans and design ideas for their future home. They engaged Mr Skyring, a building designer, to translate these into a comprehensive set of architectural and structural plans. Along the way, they reviewed and commented upon his work, with Mr Skyring making modifications as required by his clients.

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