Copyrights in architectual works

[yossi miller <ycmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Please assist the undersigned with information about the current legal situation in your country regarding the following question (if possible – with exact refarence to the legal source you are relating to)  :

 Are architectual works protected, according to your law, just as any other creation/work that is protected by CopyRight ? In other words - Is the criteria for the protection the same (just as a literary work, a painting, etc.) , or does an architectual creation/work needs to comply with higher standards to be protected ?

 Please note – I do not relate to the plans of the architectual work/design (which are protected as any other sketch/painting/drawing) but to the building itself.

 That is – if the building itself is copied (for example – by taking it’s photos and designing and building another house using these photos), and not by photocopying it’s plans, would the design be protected in any case that it is new & unique, or must it be a specially high standard architectual masterpiece ?

 If it possible - send your answer also directly to my e-mail - ycm@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Thank you in advance,

 Y. Miller, adv.

Haifa, Israel