Wednesday, October 21, 2015

book - How does copyright apply to illustrations and cover art?


Is a paid-up-front illustrator entitled to royalties?


If I hire an illustrator for artwork, and I pay up front on a per-illustration basis, what copyright gotchas should I be aware of? Does the artist own the copyright on the illustrations - or do I, since it was a work-for-hire? Can I make unlimited copies of my book without owing the artist another cent? Even if we don't agree on royalties, can she sue for them later? Should I have her sign a contract, and if so, what kind of contract? Can you point me at an example contract?


Also... can I re-release my material in a different edition or format, and re-release the illustrations too, without having to sign a new contract with the artist? Let's say I print a book of poems with illustrations. Then, I produce a new anthology of poems, with selections from the first book. Could I re-use some of the artwork in my new book without running afoul of copyright restrictions, or even contacting the artist?




No comments:

Post a Comment

technique - How credible is wikipedia?

I understand that this question relates more to wikipedia than it does writing but... If I was going to use wikipedia for a source for a res...