Photographing images to put on website

[woodman-46]

Hello ,
I sell old prints taken from books that are supplied to me by charities and libraries. These books are too damaged to sell or use and therefore are destined for the mulcher.
Although I am not breaking copyright because they are actual pages if I put images of these prints on my website to show people what I have in stock am I breaking copyright ? Obviously to do this I would have to photograph them.
Thanks for any advice on this.
James

[AndyJ]

Hi woodman,

You should be fine doing this. There is a specific dispensation (section 63 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act) which permits the reproduction of artistic works for the purpose of offering them for sale. The main stipulation is that the thumbnail or example image should not be at sufficiently high resolution that it effectively becomes a substitiute for the original which is being offered for sale.