Handing over Revit file in BIM process

[Steve_Stafford]

The length of a legal document can be indicative of how much is scary or unknown, more scary, more words. Hopefully as BIM gets less scary their will be less confusion, less wordiness. The tricky part is when they verbally admit something but the contract doesn't, needs to get added so you don't get burned trying to get your payment requisitions paid later.

[ShawnF]

Most Owner / Operators with any previous 3D modeling requirements, especially in the pharmaceutical or oil/gas and energy world, have always had a model deliverable requirement. Most of the "new kids on the block" (no pun intended) are putting in some kind of language...where this one may fall short is the IP of the design, not necessarily the media. Since CAD days, the owner has always claimed ownership of the media and liability of the design after delivery (if they are in a D/B/B environment)...it may get a little tricky now if you are imbedding means and methods into your content as a differentiator. I know that US Army Corps takes ownership of the model, but doesn't preclude you as the provider the ability to use that content in other places...but they can put that content into their standard and deliver it to all.

Another tricky part of all this is that currently, there is no universal (or federal) standard for legally signing a model. As Steve said earlier, many put information about what take precedent as the Drawing is the only thing one can legally sign, seal, and go to court over. Stripping out the views and sheets defeats the purpose.

FWIW, From personal experience, we always used the deliverable(s) as the owner in whatever form we got them: either 2D, 3D, and intelligent 3D. Just normal for me now after "X" years.