Dear America,

It has come to this office’s attention that the U.S. Government (“Government”) has announced its intent to promote “beautiful federal civic architecture” by requiring new Government buildings to be “visually identifiable as civic buildings” and to respect “classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States and our system of self-government.”

While we at the European Office of Classical Architecture Affairs appreciate America’s ongoing admiration of our architectural legacy, we must, regrettably, remind you that architectural designs are subject to copyright protection under well-established principles of international intellectual property law. As you may or may not be aware, architectural works are automatically copyrighted upon being fixed in a tangible medium—whether that be through blueprints, digital renderings, or actual construction.

Accordingly, please be advised that Europe, as the collective intellectual property (“IP”) owner (“Owners”) of the aforementioned “classical” European architectural styles, hereby provides formal notice that Government is not authorized to use our IP. This restriction applies retroactively, currently, and prospectively. Unauthorized reproduction, adaptation, or use of our architectural heritage—no matter how noble the intention—constitutes infringement under international copyright law.

For the avoidance of doubt, Europe’s protected IP includes any direct or derivative use of Classical European architecture, hereby defined as architecture containing elements derived from ancient Greek and Roman styles and their later adaptations during the Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, and other periods. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Structural Elements

• Column: A vertical support, often with a decorative capital.
• Entablature: The horizontal structure supported by columns, consisting of:
  • Architrave: The lowest part, directly on top of columns.
  • Frieze: A middle section, often decorated with relief sculpture.
  • Cornice: The uppermost projecting part, often ornate.
• Pediment: A triangular gable above a portico or window.
• Pilaster: A flattened column projecting slightly from a wall.
• Arcade: One or more arches supported by columns or piers.
• Buttress: An exterior support that reinforces walls (commonly found in Gothic architecture).

2. Column Orders (Greek & Roman)

• Doric: Simple, sturdy columns with plain capitals.
• Ionic: Columns with volutes (scroll-like decorations) on capitals.
• Corinthian: Ornate columns with acanthus leaves on capitals.
• Tuscan: A simplified Doric style with unfluted shafts.
• Composite: A mix of Ionic and Corinthian elements.

3. Openings & Decorative Frames

• Portico: A covered entrance with columns.
• Colonnade: A row of columns supporting a structure.
• Loggia: A covered exterior gallery with columns or arches.
• Atrium: A central open space in Roman and Renaissance architecture.
• Arch: A curved opening, common in Roman architecture.
• Vault: A ceiling or roof with an arched form, including:
  • Barrel Vault: A continuous semicircular vault.
  • Groin Vault: Two intersecting barrel vaults.
  • Rib Vault: A vault with projecting stone ribs (common in Gothic architecture).
• Dome: A rounded vault covering a space.
• Oculus: A circular opening in a dome (e.g., the Pantheon in Rome).
• Fanlight: A semicircular window above a door.
• Bay Window: A projecting window with three sides.
• Mullion: A vertical divider between window sections.

4. Roofs & Gables

• Gable: The triangular upper portion of a wall at the end of a pitched roof.
• Pedimented Roof: A roof with a triangular front, often adorned with sculpture.
• Mansard Roof: A steep, double-pitched roof with dormer windows (common in French Baroque architecture).
• Cupola: A small, dome-like structure on a roof.
• Balustrade: A decorative railing, often on a roof or balcony.

5. Wall Treatments & Ornamentation

• Rustication: Masonry with rough-hewn blocks, common in Renaissance palaces.
• Quoins: Cornerstones that visually define edges of a building.
• Frieze: A decorative band along a wall.
• Cartouche: An oval or shield-shaped decorative element.
• Festoon: A carved garland of leaves, flowers, or fruit.
• Dentil Molding: A series of small, evenly spaced rectangular blocks under a cornice.
• Egg-and-Dart Molding: An alternating pattern of oval (egg) and arrow-like (dart) motifs.

6. Interior Features

• Coffered Ceiling: A ceiling with recessed square or octagonal panels.
• Fresco: A wall or ceiling painting on wet plaster.
• Stucco Work: Decorative plaster molding.
• Wainscoting: Wooden paneling on lower walls.
• Pilasters & Engaged Columns: Decorative columns attached to walls.

7. Urban & Civic Elements

• Forum or Piazza: A public square or gathering space.
• Obelisk: A tall, four-sided stone monument with a pyramidion (common in Roman and Baroque city planning).
• Triumphal Arch: A monumental arch celebrating military victories (e.g., the Arch of Constantine in Rome).
• Aqueduct: A water bridge transporting water, an innovation of Roman engineering.

We understand that America is in the middle of a confidence and identity crisis and, once again, finds itself turning back to its European forebears for guidance, reassurance, and perhaps a much-needed cultural anchor. While we are honored that you continue to find inspiration in our architectural masterpieces, we must insist that any use of our classical forms be done lawfully and with proper authorization.

Should Government wish to secure a non-exclusive right to incorporate Owners’ Classical European architectural IP, we are happy to accommodate your request on a project-by-project basis. Our office will prepare a Limited Licensing Agreement permitting such use for the modest cost of €1.00 (one Euro) per square meter of occupied floor space per year, payable annually and in perpetuity, beginning upon project completion. This fee will, of course, help fund the continued maintenance of the original masterpieces that serve as the foundation of your nation’s aspiration to once again be part of Europe.

In the spirit of international goodwill and neighborly cooperation, Europe acknowledges the numerous and egregious copyright violations committed by America from 1776 to the present. These include, but are certainly not limited to: the U.S. Capitol Building (a blatant composite of St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul’s Cathedral), the White House (a Georgian imitation so direct that we are surprised it does not pay rent to Dublin’s Leinster House), and countless courthouses, banks, and post offices shamelessly adorned with Corinthian columns, entablatures, and domed rotundas lifted wholesale from our architectural repertoire. While these infringements would typically warrant significant retroactive penalties, we have, in a magnanimous display of Old World generosity, chosen to grant a one-time amnesty for all unauthorized use of European Classical architecture up to this date. Consider this our benevolent gift to you, an act of paternal indulgence. But let us be clear: moving forward, further infractions will not be met with such leniency.

We kindly suggest that Government take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with international copyright law. Otherwise, we may be left with no choice but to pursue appropriate legal remedies, which may include (but are not limited to) asking the Greeks to retrieve the Parthenon-ettes adorning numerous university buildings, the Romans to repossess the neoclassical capitals strewn about the country, and the Italians to file an injunction barring any further Pantheon-inspired domes on your courthouses.

As always, we remain at your service, ready to assist our dear American colonies in navigating these complex cultural and legal matters. If you have any questions or would like to discuss these and other licensing arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact this office.

We are here for you.

Sincerely,

Julius P. Snark, Director
European Office of Classical Architecture Affairs

Featured images generated by the author.