Copyright & Licencing
Since your yearbook is a commercially-produced product, it may not contain decorative images that are licensed trademarks or artwork or photography that does not have the creator’s written consent. The printing manufacturer may refuse to print a book containing copyrighted/ licensed imagery.
The following is not permitted without a specific usage license:
Watermarked graphics • characters, logos, art from books, movies, tv shows, websites, video games, etc. used in a decorative capacity • original art or photography used without the consent of the content license-holders. This includes celebrity photos, web downloads that are not public domain or commercially distributable by license, works created by independent artists used without their knowledge or consent, content from news outlets.
Fair use: Fan art is allowed. Student art that is a tribute or parody of a licensed property may be used (though it should obviously be a derivation, not an exact copy of the original inspiration. Product logos or promotional materials may be used in an editorial (not decorative) capacity, or in original photography as an incidental inclusion at a public event. For example, if your school hosted a Dr. Seuss-themed event, you may include photos of that event, but not Cat-in-the-Hat clipart. For the most part, cover art will be purely decorative, so avoid all uses of licensed or trademarked content.
PURCHASED GRAPHICS OR DESIGN WORK
Paying for your cover art does not mean that it is copyright-cleared, free from licensing violations, or the content is good quality.
Online graphics vendor (e.g. Etsy, private sites) may offer a package of trademarked character art or logos (eg. Disney, Dr. Seuss, Lego, etc.) intended for home crafters. While the copyright rules may allow for one-off personal creations (eg. a birthday invitation or a family scrapbook project), these graphics are not commercially distributable.
If you hire a designer, be very clear that all elements used on the cover must be original creations or come from legally obtained commercially-distributable sources.