here is some code I have for that  copy team area from src project (and server maybe) to dest project (and server maybe)

<code>
// note, this function ASSUMES it has the destination projectarea working copy on input

                ITeamAreaHierarchy srchierarchy = iprja_src.getTeamAreaHierarchy();
                ITeamAreaHierarchy desthierarchy = iprja_dest.getTeamAreaHierarchy();

                // allocate work area for list of changed/created timelines and
                // iterations
                // will be used to update the repository all at once when we are
                // done.
                ArrayList<IProcessItem> newitemlist = new ArrayList<IProcessItem>();

                // add the project to the list
                newitemlist.add((new IProcessItem[]
                { iprja_dest })[0]);

                // loop thru the team areas
                for (ITeamAreaHandle baseteam : new ArrayList<ITeamAreaHandle>(srchierarchy.getRoots()))
                {
                    processchildTeamAreas(newitemlist, srcauditableClient, destauditableClient, iprja_src, iprja_dest,
                            srchierarchy, desthierarchy, baseteam, null);
                }
                // allocate space for the array
                IProcessItem[] ilist = new IProcessItem[newitemlist.size()];
                // build the array
                ilist = newitemlist.toArray(ilist);
                // save all the new/modified objects to the repository
                try
                {
                    destprocessItemClient.save(ilist, null);
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    if (!ex.getMessage().contains("Cannot have two team areas with the name"))
                        System.out.println("Exception=" + ex.getMessage());
                }
/////
    private static void processchildTeamAreas(ArrayList<IProcessItem> newitemlist,
            IAuditableClient srcauditableClient, IAuditableClient destauditableClient, IProjectArea srcproject,
            IProjectArea destproject, ITeamAreaHierarchy srchierarchy, ITeamAreaHierarchy desthierarchy,
            ITeamAreaHandle baseteam, ITeamAreaHandle parent)
    {

        try
        {
            // get the full object to see the name field
            IDevelopmentLine srcdevline = (IDevelopmentLine) srcauditableClient.fetchCurrentAuditable(
                    srchierarchy.getDevelopmentLine(baseteam),
                    ItemProfile.createFullProfile(IDevelopmentLine.ITEM_TYPE), null);

            // get the full object to see the name field
            ITeamArea srcteamarea = (ITeamArea) srcauditableClient.fetchCurrentAuditable(baseteam,
                    ItemProfile.createFullProfile(ITeamArea.ITEM_TYPE), null);
           
            // don't copy archived team areas
            if(!srcteamarea.isArchived())
            {            
                    System.out.println("src timeline and team area = '"+srcdevline.getId()+"' and '"+srcteamarea.getName()+"'");
                   
                    ITeamArea destTeamArea = (ITeamArea) ITeamArea.ITEM_TYPE.createItem();
       
                    destTeamArea.setName(srcteamarea.getName());
                    destTeamArea.setProcessName(srcteamarea.getProcessName());
                    destTeamArea.setProcessSummary(srcteamarea.getProcessSummary());
                    destTeamArea.setProjectArea(destproject);
destTeamArea.getDescription().setSummary(srcteamarea.getDescription().getSummary()); //new
                    destTeamArea.getDescription().setDetails(copycontent(srcteamarea.getDescription().getDetails(),((ITeamRepository)srcproject.getOrigin()).contentManager())); //new
       
                    // add the new team area to the list of modified objects
                    newitemlist.add((new IProcessItem[]
                    { destTeamArea })[0]);
       
                    // find the matching development line on the target system
                    IDevelopmentLineHandle destline = getmatchingDevline(srcdevline.getName(), destproject, destauditableClient);
       
                    if (destline != null)
                    {
                        // desthierarchy.setDevelopmentLine(destTeamArea, destline);
                        // is this a root timeline?
                        if (parent == null)
                        {
                            // use it.
                            // desthierarchy.setDevelopmentLine(destTeamArea, destline);
                            desthierarchy.addRoot(destTeamArea, destline);
                        }
                        // nope add us to the parent
                        else
                            desthierarchy.addChild(parent, destTeamArea);
       
                        // get the list of members in the src team area
                        for (IContributorHandle srcteammember : srcteamarea.getMembers())
                        {
                            // get the full object to see the name field
                            IContributor srcmember = (IContributor) srcauditableClient.fetchCurrentAuditable(srcteammember,
                                    ItemProfile.createFullProfile(IContributor.ITEM_TYPE), null);
                            // find the matching dest system user
                            try
                            {
                                IContributorHandle destuser = destauditableClient.getTeamRepository().contributorManager()
                                        .fetchContributorByUserId(srcmember.getEmailAddress(), null);
                                // if found, add to the team area
                                destTeamArea.addMember(destuser);
                            RolePersistence.setPersistedRoleData(destTeamArea.getTeamData(), destuser,
                                    RolePersistence.getPersistentRoleData(srcteamarea.getTeamData(), srcteammember));                                
                            }
                            catch (Exception ex)
                            {
                                System.out.println("unable to find user with email="+srcmember.getEmailAddress());
                            }
                        }        
                    }
                    if (srchierarchy.getChildren(baseteam).size() > 0)
                    {
                        // loop thru the list of team areas
                        for (ITeamAreaHandle childteam: (ITeamAreaHandle[])srchierarchy.getChildren(baseteam).toArray(new ITeamAreaHandle[1]))
                        {
                            // process for any children, recursively
                            processchildTeamAreas(newitemlist, srcauditableClient, destauditableClient, srcproject,
                                    destproject, srchierarchy, desthierarchy, childteam, destTeamArea);
                        }
                    }
            }

        }
        catch (TeamRepositoryException e1)
        {
            // TODO Auto-generated catch block
            e1.printStackTrace();
        }

    }
    private static IContent copycontent(IContent in, IContentManager icm)
    {
        IContent out = null;

        // get the content of the content object.
        try
        {
            if (in != null)
            {        
                IAuditableCommon auditable = (IAuditableCommon) destauditableClient.getTeamRepository().getClientLibrary(
                        IAuditableCommon.class);               
                // make an output stream for the content manager
                OutputStream os = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
                // get the content of the content object.
                icm.retrieveContent(in, os, null);
                // extract the bytes, need the object twice
                byte[] bytes = os.toString().getBytes(in.getCharacterEncoding());
                // make a content object on the destination system
                out=auditable.storeContent(in.getContentType(),  in.getCharacterEncoding(), new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes),
                        bytes.length, null);
            }
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        return out;       
    }
    private static IDevelopmentLineHandle getmatchingDevline(String prodname, IProjectArea destproject,
            IAuditableClient destauditableClient)
    {
        IDevelopmentLineHandle foundline = null;

        // loop thru the list of timelines
        for (IDevelopmentLineHandle destlineh: destproject.getDevelopmentLines())
        {
            try
            {
                // get the full profile, so we can get the name field
                IDevelopmentLine destline = (IDevelopmentLine) destauditableClient.fetchCurrentAuditable(destlineh,
                        ItemProfile.createFullProfile(IDevelopmentLine.ITEM_TYPE), null);

                // if the target project timeline name matches the one in
                // the prod team area
                if (destline.getName().equalsIgnoreCase(prodname))
                {
                    foundline = destlineh;
                    break;
                }
            }
            catch (TeamRepositoryException e)
            {
                // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
        return foundline;
    }
</code>

Please have a look into the snippets that come with the Plain Java Client Libraries. There is some explanation here too: https://rsjazz.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/deploying-templates-and-creating-projects-using-the-plain-java-clients-library/

The code looks funny.....

if (area == null) {
        System.out.println("Trying to create Project Area: " + projectName);
        area = service.createProjectArea();
        area.setName(projectName);
        area.setProcessDefinition(processDefinition);
        IDescription description = area.getDescription();
        description.setSummary("Project to be used running the RTC Extension Workshop");
        area = (IProjectArea) service.save(area, monitor);

some apis are by value (get/set) and some are by reference.(access thru )

there is NO indication that the IDescription object is by reference

how does get/setSummary relate to the IDescription object Summary field?
as setSummary is not deprecated.

this should be the new code.. (tested on same repo) (my code assumes different rtc repos all the time)

                    destTeamArea.setName(srcteamarea.getName());
                    destTeamArea.setProcessName(srcteamarea.getProcessName());
                    destTeamArea.setProcessSummary(srcteamarea.getProcessSummary());
                    destTeamArea.setProjectArea(destproject);  
                    destTeamArea.getDescription().setSummary(srcteamarea.getDescription().getSummary()); //new
                    destTeamArea.getDescription().setDetails(copycontent(srcteamarea.getDescription().getDetails(),((ITeamRepository)srcproject.getOrigin()).contentManager())); //new
////
worker function
    private static IContent copycontent(IContent in, IContentManager icm)
    {
        IContent out = null;

        // get the content of the content object.
        try
        {
            if (in != null)
            {        
                IAuditableCommon auditable = (IAuditableCommon) destauditableClient.getTeamRepository().getClientLibrary(
                        IAuditableCommon.class);               
                // make an output stream for the content manager
                OutputStream os = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
                // get the content of the content object.
                icm.retrieveContent(in, os, null);
                // extract the bytes, need the object twice
                byte[] bytes = os.toString().getBytes(in.getCharacterEncoding());
                // make a content object on the destination system
                out=auditable.storeContent(in.getContentType(),  in.getCharacterEncoding(), new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes),
                        bytes.length, null);
            }
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        return out;       
    }