I do not believe that is true. They ARE in the public domain insofar as they are a public record. As such they are fully reviewable by anyone that wants to see them. But unlike most legal documents, they are not reproducible, as that runs afoul of copyright laws. So for some jurisdictions that use remote storage or microfiche, this does effectively remove them from being publicly available, a rather interesting Catch-22.
From: David L. Fisher [mailto:dfisher@fpse.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 9:02 AM
To:
Subject: RE: COPIES OF PLANS
Steve:
Did they say why they want to release them?
The drawings are your “instruments of service” and are not in the public domain.
David L. Fisher
Senior Director
Cape Cod Grand Cayman Holdings Ltd. - Cayman
Fisher+Partners Structural Engineers - Cayman
312.573.1701
312.573.1726 facsimile
312.622.0409 mobile
www.fpse.com
www.ccgch.com
From: S. Gordin [mailto:mailbox@sgeconsulting.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 10:58 AM
To: Seaint
Subject: COPIES OF PLANS
Good Saturday morning,
I received an official request from the city to allow the release (copying) of my plans on file.
I never done that before.
Is it just a formality?
Thanks,
V. Steve Gordin, SE