[GKreindler]

Mwheeler27,

You’re getting into an area that is dealt with all the time in the publishing world. When an artist is commissioned to illustrate a book cover, the rights to use that image that he/she will create to use on that book cover is what the company is purchasing. The physical object (painting, drawing, etc.) still belongs to the artist. Owning the work of art and the rights to do something - anything - commercial with that work are two separate things.

If Seto made a deal in which Topps owns the originals and the rights to publish them however they see fit, I do hope she was compensated accordingly. If Topps approached somebody like Neal Adams (he was mentioned before, though I know he doesn’t do this kind of work), and asked him for that kind of all-encompassing deal, you can be sure that he’s gonna charge accordingly.

Graig