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If you pay an artist to create your cover, the assumption is that the artist has the rights to the image(s) used. Also, the artist then grants to you the right to use the final cover image in promotion of your book. Et cetera and legalese.
You may not end up "owning" anything, only with the right to use the image.
For my cover for The Summoning Fire (my avatar) there is an original painting, "End of Days", which was painted specifically for the cover. *BUT* I don't own that image[*], the artist does. I have the right to use the cover the artist created with the image in promotion of the book, including as the ebook cover. But that's it. For example, I can't suddenly start making prints of the painting without the artist's permission. But I *could* make poster prints of the cover, because then it's promotion of the book.
It's simpler than it sounds, but you do need to be aware of what you have rights for, and want you don't.
-David
[*] Yet. I will own that canvas eventually.
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