Moral right of attribution and architectural works
When should an architect be attributed as the creator of a building?
In a 2002 article in Architecture Australia, lawyer Jonathan Kenna reflected on the then recent changes to copyright law and moral rights. In his article, Kenna noted that while progress was slow, one year on there was some evidence that the right of attribution would increase the recognition of the work done by architects and heighten the visibility of the profession.
At that time, the Australian Institute of Architects and the Advertising Federation of Australia issued a guideline to assist the advertising industry. It stated that “where a visual, spoken or written reference to a work of architecture is integral to the purpose of an advertisement, in any media, the architect for the work is to be clearly identified.” The guideline definition of architectural work encompasses models, drawings, illustrations, buildings, groups of buildings, urban environments and furniture.
Twelve years on, it is timely to reflect on the requirements of the legislation and revisit the guidelines issued at the time.
Read Jonathan Kenna’s article here.
