Copyright vs Patent

[nev]

Curious as to what the different is

Reason I am asking (and I have had a fair bit of experience in copyrights to do with music) is if someone bought copy written plans to build say a kids toy can one build more than one of the original plans i.e. the plans haven't been copied!!
Can he sell the toys he builds

My understanding is the copy write owner has to patent the psychical thing to stop this (or get a written agreement from the person he sold the copy written plans to that they will only make one)
Is this right

Just like the music Industry has a copyright on the written music score and a mechanical copy write on recording the music and a performing right on performing in public

And where does House plans you buy online fit into this
As most are overseas
I would assume copyright laws are different in the states do they have any weight here in Australia
Can these online plans be build in quantities here because of this

 

[bashworth]

Normally with plans you get a licence to build one building.

I would be very cautious about buying plans from overseas companies particularly the USA as their sizes will be based on imperial dimensions. I would also worry about things like meeting the energy rating.

Her is a link that talks about what to look for when buying plans. http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2012/01/buying-plans-off-the-internet/ ‎

 

[nev]

Normally with plans you get a licence to build one building.

I would be very cautious about buying plans from overseas companies particularly the USA as their sizes will be based on imperial dimensions. I would also worry about things like meeting the energy rating.
‎

I was speaking hypothetically
At the end of the day the overseas plans I would assume have to be redrawn to our standards
indecently would this be a breach of copy-right??

 

[bashworth]

Your license is for a single use of the plans. If you choose to modify them that's allowed but because the modified plans are based on the original plan copyright extends to them, so you can't use the modified plans for a 2nd drawing.

This is a similar issue to music (The most recent example was the fact that the courts decided that "Men at Work" breached the copyright of Kookaburra with the song 'Down Under')

There is an article about some of the issues with copying plans at this link: http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2012/02/thinking-of-copying-plans/ (on the page you will also find a couple of links to Australian Plan Companies0