[DrewDevil]

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Suppose I wanted to build a house that was an exact replica of, say, a Frank Lloyd Wright house. What if I changed it slightly? What if I built it in SE Asia? Basically I'm asking how intellectual property applies to architecture.

[/ QUOTE ]

U.S. Copyright Office sez:

Does copyright protect architecture?

Yes. Architectural works became subject to copyright protection on December 1, 1990. The copyright law defines “architectural work” as “the design of a building embodied in any tangible medium of expression, including a building, architectural plans, or drawings.” Copyright protection extends to any architectural work created on or after December 1, 1990. Also, any architectural works that were unconstructed and embodied in unpublished plans or drawings on that date and were constructed by December 31, 2002, are eligible for protection. Architectural designs embodied in buildings constructed prior to December 1, 1990, are not eligible for copyright protection. See Circular 41, Copyright Claims in Architectural Works

So anything designed and built prior to 1990 would be fair game.