The Artful Jurist

A New York Times article describes the growing trend in the publishing industry of digitizing romance novels.? Apparently, today's romance novel reader is just as likely to want it as an e-book as she is likely to want it?in paperback...with the possibility being that the e-books may even overtake the?paperbacks in sales.? (And, yes, the industry reports that the vast majority of romance readership is female, so don't get all over my case for using the feminine pronoun here.? I'm just going with the stats.)

But there's one element of the romance novel that apparently isn't always making the transition to digital media.??I'm talking about?the book covers.? You know the ones I mean.? They?feature a?muscular guy?who?resembles Fabio putting his arms around a statuesque woman who has her back to him in order to display her ample cleavage to us.? Well, according to the article, those covers don't make it to the digital books about half the time.? Why?? Apparently the publishers didn't always negotiate digital rights to the cover art.

Yes, even the artists who draw those heaving bosoms are entitled to copyright protection.