diff --git a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
index 5e45c8dd2cc92c567cd08f3b8089b4b5de6aedb8..a5f10c6ee4be3cd52f250935a28d998242deca34 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from caosdb.common.datatype import (BOOLEAN, DATETIME, DOUBLE, FILE, INTEGER,
                                     REFERENCE, TEXT, is_reference)
 from caosdb.common.models import (Container, Entity, File, Property, Query,
                                   Record, RecordType, execute_query,
-                                  get_config)
+                                  get_config, SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES)
 
 
 def new_record(record_type, name=None, description=None,
@@ -565,10 +565,6 @@ def getCommitIn(folder):
         return t.readline().strip()
 
 
-SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES = ["name", "role", "datatype", "description",
-                      "id", "path", "checksum", "size"]
-
-
 def compare_entities(old_entity: Entity, new_entity: Entity):
     """
     Compare two entites.
@@ -681,48 +677,6 @@ def compare_entities(old_entity: Entity, new_entity: Entity):
     return (olddiff, newdiff)
 
 
-def copy_entity(entity: Entity):
-    """
-    Return a copy of entity.
-
-    If deep == True return a deep copy, recursively copying all sub entities.
-
-    Standard properties are copied using add_property.
-    Special attributes, as defined by the global variable SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES and additionaly
-    the "value" are copied using setattr.
-    """
-    if entity.role == "File":
-        new = File()
-    elif entity.role == "Property":
-        new = Property()
-    elif entity.role == "RecordType":
-        new = RecordType()
-    elif entity.role == "Record":
-        new = Record()
-    elif entity.role == "Entity":
-        new = Entity()
-    else:
-        raise RuntimeError("Unkonwn role.")
-
-    # Copy special attributes:
-    # TODO: this might rise an exception when copying
-    #       special file attributes like checksum and size.
-    for attribute in SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES + ["value"]:
-        val = getattr(entity, attribute)
-        if val is not None:
-            setattr(new, attribute, val)
-
-    # Copy parents:
-    for p in entity.parents:
-        new.add_parent(p)
-
-    # Copy properties:
-    for p in entity.properties:
-        new.add_property(p, importance=entity.get_importance(p))
-
-    return new
-
-
 def merge_entities(entity_a: Entity, entity_b: Entity):
     """
     Merge entity_b into entity_a such that they have the same parents and properties.
diff --git a/src/caosdb/common/models.py b/src/caosdb/common/models.py
index 80a6ee11e707fb3776fc96b42a16b649ac575f66..3c5106356e9468e5ef3493f72b007a3e464baef7 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/common/models.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/common/models.py
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ ALL = "ALL"
 NONE = "NONE"
 
 
+SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES = ["name", "role", "datatype", "description",
+                      "id", "path", "checksum", "size"]
+
+
 class Entity(object):
 
     """Entity is a generic CaosDB object.
@@ -114,6 +118,48 @@ class Entity(object):
         self.id = id
         self.state = None
 
+
+    def copy_entity(self):
+        """
+        Return a copy of entity.
+
+        If deep == True return a deep copy, recursively copying all sub entities.
+
+        Standard properties are copied using add_property.
+        Special attributes, as defined by the global variable SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES and additionaly
+        the "value" are copied using setattr.
+        """
+        if self.role == "File":
+            new = File()
+        elif self.role == "Property":
+            new = Property()
+        elif self.role == "RecordType":
+            new = RecordType()
+        elif self.role == "Record":
+            new = Record()
+        elif self.role == "Entity":
+            new = Entity()
+        else:
+            raise RuntimeError("Unkonwn role.")
+
+        # Copy special attributes:
+        # TODO: this might rise an exception when copying
+        #       special file attributes like checksum and size.
+        for attribute in SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES + ["value"]:
+            val = getattr(self, attribute)
+            if val is not None:
+                setattr(new, attribute, val)
+
+        # Copy parents:
+        for p in self.parents:
+            new.add_parent(p)
+
+        # Copy properties:
+        for p in self.properties:
+            new.add_property(p, importance=self.get_importance(p))
+
+        return new
+
     @property
     def version(self):
         if self._version is not None or self._wrapped_entity is None: