When redesigning a website that has been created by a different web designer, is it legal and within any copyright laws to keep the content sections (ie the words and illustrations in the left and right hand columns) the same if the client had supplied the said content and illustrations? That is, can you redesign the masthead, navigation, background, footer, colours etc but still use the original content layout ? So far, the web redesigns I have done have involved completely rehashing the words and content illustrations as well as the overall structure so I have not needed to ask this.
In general, the previous design for the client would have been done on the basis that the client owned all material used (graphics etc) after the work was completed. I'd double check, but if this is the case then you have no problems reworking whatever you are given by the client.
Charles Andrews: Many thanks for this Charles - does anyone know how you can double check? For example, if there is a "copyright website company" in the footer - which we put by default on all websites and many other designers also do - does this make the CONTENT material and CONTENT layout the copyright of the web designer or the customer (assuming that the customer supplied the words and photos in the first place)???? Note that I am not talking about the overall design (masthead navigation etc) just the content.