This subject will most likely cause a hornet's nest of replies but here goes! When you purchase a set of plans I feel you are obligated to keep those plans. The honour system should apply here. Designers are not getting rich and when a friend or other person is interested in building a boat you have shown them, the right thing to do is give them the address for the plans and wish them good luck. I have convinced many builders to build themselves a boat. Many have changed their lives with a boat. Never have I sold the plans, I show them what they are getting but they must spend the measly little amount for their own plans. Warren Percell
I think you are right on target Warren - with a few exceptions:
1. I think the plans should go with the boat if you sell it.
2. If you do not build the boat you ought to be able to transfer them to someone else.
3. If the plans are no longer available for purchase then it might be permissable to copy them (this is certainly a gray area).
I believe when I bought my Stevenson plans they said sometion to the effect that the plans entitled you to build 1 boat from them.Â
Most designers just want to know where the plans/boat are living. In other words, resale is acceptable, but notify the designer and tell them that "sail number such and such is now in the hands of . . ." It makes it so much easier to track down projects 10 and 15 years later if you have a reasonably accurate ideas of who built it. I got a call from a guy in Tallahassee and he wanted to know who built one of my 20' CC designs. I told him who the plans where sold too, but when he followed it up, the original plans owner had given them to a friend, who did build the boat and now was selling it. I was able to update my records as to who built it and the progression of owners, but this was just a bit of luck in this case.
Typical boat plans are simply a sale of building rights for one hull, per plan set. This can be modified, usually in writing, if you want to build more then one. For example if you build a boat, then later sell it, but then want to build another. You owe the designer a "royalty fee" (second boat thingee), which also is generally considerably less then the plans price (you already have them). Again this is just a building agreement for another hull from the same set of plans.
As a rule, copying plans is for in shop use only. In other words you can copy the construction drawing and take them out into the shop, where they will get epoxy, dirt and beer stains pretty quickly, but because it's a copy, you're safe.
Public domain plans, you can do pretty much anything you want, eat, burn, sell, etc., but this is a different story.