In just a few days, WPL Publishing will host a webinar for construction professionals addressing architectural copyrights and professional responsibility in an era of computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM).

The tools of project delivery increasingly involve the exchange and merging of ideas and propriety information in electronic form. More often than not, that information is the subject of copyright and other intellectual property right protection. Although changes in technology often can outpace the laws and regulations governing design, construction, and professional responsibility in the digital age, understanding the framework of those laws in the context of building construction is important to ensure orderly project delivery and the safety of those who build and use buildings. The 90-minute webinar, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. (EST), aims to help professionals understand and address these issues. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/3598fhk.

During the webinar, David Roberts of Roberts Construction Law Llc. will advise attendees on the following points:

    * How technology has driven copyright law, and how it protects those who design and create.

# Who owns copyrights in the design of buildings and in the technical drawings used to build them.

# How project control may depend on the control of copyrights.

# Why an understanding of copyright scope and ownership is essential to each member of the building team, and what costs and liability can accompany improper use of designs, drawings, and other project information.

# In the era of CAD and BIM, what changes and what stays the same regarding the role

of the design professional.

    * What must all members of the building team keep in mind when project delivery involves

the exchange of digital information.

Mr. Roberts concentrates his practice in construction law and copyright law in the context of design, engineering, and construction. He practiced architecture more than 17 years before beginning his legal career. He was a founding partner of an award-winning Atlanta architectural firm specializing in corporate projects and projects for local government, schools, and universities. He has served as a construction dispute mediator. His current work involves various construction matters: the drafting of construction and design contracts; litigation of architectural copyright matters; litigation of delay and construction defects claims and claims involving government contracts; participation in mediation and arbitration; and claims involving design and construction liens.

http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/10/11/p600644/webinar-to-focus-on-architectural-copyrights-professional-responsibilit