A Study on the Amendment of Korean Copyright Law in relation to Architecture

국내 저작권법 중 건축 관련 조항의 개정에 관한 연구

The history of Korean copyright law is comparatively long as opposed to the public awareness of its existence. It actually exceeds one hundred years since the copyright law was introduced for the first time in Korea. Nevertheless, its provision for architecture is vague and insufficient in comparison with those of other developed countries. Many reasons may account for the situation and one of the noticeable causes was found to be the indifference of architects toward copyright, especially toward the potential benefits of copyright. This study aims to set up new provisions for architecture in Korean copyright law. The provisions adopted in most developed countries were scrutinized and their applicability in Korea was examined in depth. As the result, an addition of the definition of 'building' and the exclusion of term 'construction documents' were made to clarify the vagueness of terminology. Furthermore, moral rights for architects were strengthened than ever before in the history of Korean copyright legislation.