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Reprographics Policies
Photoduplication
The Southeastern Architectural Archive allows a variety of means by which patrons may obtain reproductions of SEAA holdings. These permissions are granted for personal use only and solely for research purposes, not for reproduction. The SEAA's reprographic policies are compliant with United States copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code), which governs the making of photocopies and other reproductions of copyrighted material. The SEAA reserves the right to refuse a copy or reproduction requested if, in its opinion, fulfilling the request may violate copyright law.
When the United States signed its agreement to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works in 1988, it responded with enactment of the Architectural Works Copyright Act, which provided copyright protection for works of architecture. Protections included all aspects of building design expressed in any tangible medium, including the structure itself, architectural drawings or plans.
It is best to consult with sources such as the Library of Congress Copyright Office's "Copyright Claims in Architectural Works" in order to understand protections and limitations. Note that for unpublished architectural drawings or plans created prior to/on 1 December 1990 related to a a building that was not constructed by 31 December 2002, protection terminated 31 December 2002.
If you intend to use archival materials related to architectural projects beyond the protections of fair use, you must obtain requisite permissions. Possession of images does not convey reproduction rights. Direct permission to publish requests to the Head of the Southeastern Architectural Archive. It should be noted that permission granted by the SEAA does not guarantee SEAA's control of intellectual property rights to the materials or that the researcher should not secure other authorizations prior to use. University of Texas Archivist Beth Dodd has created guidelines for securing requisite permissions for architectural records.