Legal Question in Intellectual Property in New York

Re: copyright

You would want to get a simple release authorizing you to use the picture/photo/drawing/image as the cover of your book together with the right to copy the picture for purposes of advertising, publicizing, promoting, distributing and exploiting the cover and book. If your friend wants credit that should be included as well. You can try to find a "photo" or "model" release on the Internet or in a form book or pay a lawyer to draft one, the latter being preferable. Shouldn't take more than an hour.

Re: copyright

Mr. Mark is correct; that is the best approach. Of course a lawyer can also tell you when you can use the same form again.