Copyright, Architecture and McMansions

Architectural Works & Copyright Law:

Would you like fries with that McMansion?

A Joint Meeting of the Construction Law

Committee and the IP Subcommitteeof EMIPS

Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Time: 6:00 pmLocation: NYCLA, 14 Vesey Street; Board Room

Presenters: Raymond Dowd and Braden Farber

Please join us for a discussion of Axelrod & Cherveny v. Winmar Homes(E.D.N.Y. March 6, 2007)http://www.websupp.org/data/EDNY/2:05-cv-00711-46-EDNY.pdf<http://www.websupp.org/data/EDNY/2:05-cv-00711-46-EDNY.pdf > and howcopyright law applies to architectural works under the Architectural WorksCopyright Act.

Our guest speaker, Braden Farber, was lead counsel in theAxelrod case. Pictures of the architectural works at issue are available athttp://www.archpaper.com/news/2007_0501.htm.

Biographies:Raymond J. Dowd is a member of Dunnington, Bartholow & Millers's corporate,litigation and arbitration practice groups. He has broad commercial litigation experience in both federal and state courts, and has representedcopyright, trademark and domain name owners and content providers intransactions and litigation of almost every type, representing bothplaintiffs and defendants. He has conducted numerous bench and jury trials,and arbitrations, and has obtained, enforced, and collected numerousjudgments. In addition, he has provided corporate and transactionalrepresentation for a number of entrepreneurial companies from theincorporation and startup phase through significant growth. Mr. Dowd regularly speaks to trade associations on copyright, trademark andlitigation issues, and participates in organizing continuing legal educationprograms. Additionally, Mr. Dowd is the author of the Copyright LitigationHandbook. (http://www.dunnington.com/biodowd.html).

Braden Farber is a partner at Farber, Brocks & Zane. Mr. Farber specializesin representing architects, engineers, other design professionals andcontractors in construction related matters, and also serves as counsel tomany design firms, property owners, real estate developers and contractors.Mr. Farber is a member of several design professional organizations andsocieties, is a frequent lecturer on relevant topics of interest, and alsoprovides accredited continuing education courses. Mr. Farber also handlesgeneral liability and environmental claims for private and municipal property owners, contractors and other business owners.(http://fbzlaw.com/Attorneys/BradenFarber.php)

*From a New York County Lawyers' Association bulletin. Architecture and copyright is a hot topic. Many builders and architects don't know their rights and how to protect themselves. As we head into a recession, we should see many litigations relating to construction hitting the federal courts under the guise of copyright. Special thanks to EMIPS Chair Olivera Medenica and Construction Law Committee Chair Carol Sigmond for putting this together and getting us NYCLA's prestigious Board Room.