Legal risks incurred under the application of BIM in Taiwan

The wider application of building information modelling (BIM) brings increased convenience and efficiency but incurs some legal issues or risks. These issues have not only become legal concerns creating potential risks, but real barriers to the continued development of BIM. The most important feature that distinguishes BIM from non-BIM designs is the exchange of semantic information and collaborative framework. Potential issues which might occur under the Taiwanese legal system are: (a) inconsistencies between various software packages; (b) errors caused by imperfect software; (c) intellectual property rights issues; and (d) involvement of BIM in construction contracts. If the issues of utilising BIM are consequential and inevitable, their resolution is also essential in promoting further development. Doubts about the resolution of legal arguments could be mitigated by following the stipulations of the existing legal system and supplementing the contractual clauses. Even though they cannot be eradicated completely, their possible effects can be controlled through the analysis described in this work. Loss or damages can be avoided by taking into consideration the commercial terms and conditions when carrying out specific projects.