The Most Expensive Form Of Flattery

Architectural ideas are not protected by copyright law. The same goes for the individual design elements, like doors and windows, that are needed to make a building work. Standard layouts are not covered either, but home designs, in general, are. They are copyrightable in any tangible form including plans and actual buildings. Since December 1, 1990, section 102 of the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. has granted protection to the overall form and composition of such “architectural works”.

While bridges, boats, and trailers are not protected as “architectural works”, the architectural plans and technical drawings used to depict them are protected as, “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works”. The “sculptural” part, really refers not to the plans so much, but to any part of the RV or bridge that can be called artful rather than utilitarian. In other words, something is protected as “sculptural” only to the extent that its artful qualities exist independent of its utility. [Read more]

My Lusby

Do you remember the first time you threw a blanket over a card table or clothes line and crawled inside? That supremely satisfied feeling of being in your own small space? That’s how I feel in my Tumbleweed house. It’s especially true whenever I climb up into the sleeping loft and peer down at the cozy space below. I had a small house before this one – less than a thousand square feet – but there were rooms I seldom entered. It seemed that the dog and cats and I spent most of our time together in the kitchen, the bedroom, or the living room. Now we must share a smaller space, which, of course, has meant that we’ve all had to make some adjustments. [Read more]

Steve N. builds tiny house

After attending the design workshop in Sebastopol, Steve N. built his own tiny house. The design was his own creation.
The Tiny House Blog has several pictures as well.