Asked by: Holly Lopez

In both traditional publishing and indie/self-publishing, the cover art is a piece of intellectual property separate from the book itself. And in both cases, the ownership of the cover art and how it can be used is controlled by the interplay between copyright and contract law.

Can you use a book cover image without permission?

Book covers, album covers, and movie covers are copyrightable. However, fair use, a provision of U.S. copyright law, gives users the right to use copyrighted material without permission under certain circumstances. If a use is fair, the user need not notify or seek permission from the copyright holder.

Do authors have control over book covers?

It’s true that authors almost never contractually have approval over their covers, though they do sometimes have something called “consult” or “consultation” (often negotiated into the contract by an agent).

Can I use my own photo for a book cover?

Photos that are fine for personal use might be illegal if used commercially, and it is your responsibility as photographer (and publisher) to obey the law. Your human subjects have rights so you should have permission from them before using their photo as e.g. a book jacket.

Who owns the cover art for a book?

The cover art copyright will remain with the publisher or artist. This is one reason you see new covers when traditionally published authors switch houses or publish the book again via self-publishing channels.

Are book covers copyright free?

There is no doubt that the designs of recent book covers are protected by copyright and the usual rules apply. In principle, unless you believe your usage is covered by a statutory exception, you do need the permission of the copyright owner, which will usually be the publisher (although perhaps not in every case).

Are covers fair use?

When someone records and releases a song, you are free to do your own cover version of that song by obtaining a mechanical or “compulsory” license. Then, every time your cover version is sold or reproduced, you (or your record label) must pay the statutory royalty fee for that song (currently 9.1¢ per copy in the US).

Why do publishers change book covers?

Even though the titles stay the same, American and British publishers often create new covers for the same texts. The simple reason is that market tastes differ. Often, British covers defer to darker colors or more negative space, while American covers tend to be flashier.

How do publishers use book covers to market their books?

Ads and teasers. Using your book cover in ads is a brilliant way to boost preorders and increase visibility. You can either use the book cover itself, elements of it, or images that are evocative of the story in your ad graphics.

How do book covers work?

As a physical component of the book, the cover is a skin, a membrane, and a safeguard: paper jackets protect hardback boards from scuffing and sun damage, while paperback covers not only hold the book together but also keep its sheets clean and safe from tearing.

Can I print book covers?

Most book printers will gladly print your book covers for you, even if you don’t want them to print the text pages of the book. The prices are a little better than what you would get at a local copy shop. Just send the finished file and they will send you a stack of your printed book covers.

How do you cite a photo cover from a book?

Work Cited

If you discuss a cover image in detail and want to credit the artist, you could provide the artist’s full name at first mention in your prose or the artist’s last name in parentheses and list the entry under the artist’s name.

Can you use a painting for a book cover?

If the painting is still under copyright, permission to use it on a cover would be required from the copyright holder.

Is Van Gogh copyright free?

Are Van Gogh paintings copyrighted? Van Gogh’s paintings are not copyrighted now because the artist has been dead for a long time. This means that Van Gogh’s paintings are now a part of the public domain. While that is true, any reproductions or photographs of his paintings will still come under the copyright laws.

Do book cover artists get royalties?

Book cover art

Typically, there are no royalties on book cover work—it’s a flat fee. It may be exciting to illustrate the cover of what will be the next Harry Potter, but, sadly, you won’t see a dime in royalties.

Can I use an old painting as an album cover?

You may own a physical copy of the work – a photo print, a painting, a CD – but that does not automatically give you ownership rights in the copyright of the work itself.

Can I use anything for an album cover?

Casing rules don’t apply to cover art, so you can have all caps or lowercase or whatever mix of the two you want. You can use the same image for every single, as long as the text differs on the cover for each one. You can have an image with NO text, but you can’t reuse that image (without text) for another release.

Can you use Mona Lisa as album cover?

In short, the painting itself is in the public domain if the artist has been dead 100 years (regardless of when the painting itself was made), but the image of the painting has its own copyright i.e. if you use a photo of the Mona Lisa in your game, the person who took the photo actually has the copyright of that image …

Is the Mona Lisa copyrighted?

Mona Lisa is in the public domain and free to be exploited, explaining its reproduction on everything from postcards to coffee mugs, with no legal repercussions. Artistic replicas and reinterpretations as a whole – demonstrating adequate modification – are considered new works eligible for copyright protection.

Is Starry Night copyrighted?

Case in point, Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is in the public domain. The original painting is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Go to the MoMA website and look up “Starry Night” and you’ll see information on how to license MoMA’s photograph of it.

Is Pablo Picasso in public domain?

On January 1st, 2019, a group of Pablo Picasso artworks will enter the public domain in the United States. A small but significant selection of will be completely free for re-use and publication of any sort.

Will Mickey Mouse enter public domain?

Walt Disney’s character Mickey Mouse, as depicted in his 1928 short cartoon “Steamboat Willie”, will enter the public domain on Jan. 1, 2024. But these copyright expirations don’t necessarily mean it’s open season on all Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh knockoffs.

Is Winnie the Pooh public domain now?

Winnie-the-Pooh and hundreds of other works are now in the public domain.

Is Winnie the Pooh public domain?

Milne’s 1926 book Winnie the Pooh are now in the public domain, opening the floodgates for just anybody to adapt the characters — so long as they don’t infringe on Disney’s interpretation of them.

Is the Wizard of Oz public domain?

The 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz is the most well-known adaptation of The Wizard of Oz; in many respects, its popularity surpassed the original book. Its copyright was renewed in 1967, so it will remain copyrighted for a 95-year term, entering the public domain in 2035.

Are the ruby slippers copyright?

While the L. Frank Baum books are in the public domain, the 1939 movie remains under copyright protection.

Is Peter Pan in the public domain?

Although the novel Peter Pan (also known as Peter and Wendy) is in the public domain in the US, the play (and stage adaptations) is in copyright there until 2023.