dorincard
Member 
Posts: 1,623 
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jun 1, 2022 17:30:03 GMT
Is there an year (like 1921) before which ALL the postage stamps, of ANY country, have no copyright protection? That should include any underlying copyright, like the stamp designer artwork, any person depicted, any logo... So I want an old (enough) stamp free of ANY copyright protection, to use commercially, like on T-shirts. Moreover, there are a few countries whose stamps images are all copyright-free, even recent ones. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Stamps |
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loupy
Member
Back and active, thank you!
Posts: 70
What I collect: US to 2000 with a focus on 720 & 721, WW 1840 - 1930, DDR 5 year workers, Machins, Canada Centennials, Brazil Allegories, Mexico Archiecture & Archaeology 1950 -75, used stamps preffered when possible.
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Post by loupy on Jun 1, 2022 23:38:39 GMT
U.S. Post Office Copyright begins in 1978 with Scott's # 1731, 15c Carl Sandburg commemorative which was the first issue of 1978 on Jan., 6. Before that date the PO has no copyright, but artists may hold copyrights on stamp designs.
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,623
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jun 2, 2022 22:22:17 GMT
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khj
Member
Posts: 1,524
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Post by khj on Jun 3, 2022 1:34:06 GMT
I have read opinions from some copyright attorneys that dispute that. Ellen, licensing expert from USPS, said 1978 in an email to me. But Sue, another copyright attorney, said 1971 Both are covering the issue from a different angle. USPS officially started on 1Jul1971, as a result of the Postal Reorganization Act (Public Law 91-375). Before then, US stamps could not be copyrighted. From the Compendium of Copyright Practices II: From that date on, USPS could legally copyright stamps. But you still have to claim the copyright. In 1978, USPS began claiming copyright on all stamps. And for a period of a few years, they actually put the copyright notice on at least one selvedge tab in the mint pane. They no longer print the copyright on the selvedge, but they are still claiming the copyright. USPS will officially tell you that all stamps issued from 1978 forward are copyright. You can see those copyrights in the US Copyright Office online database. Copyrights before then, have not all been digitized into the database (as far as I know); they still have to be manually searched/retrieved from the card catalog drawers or ledger books. My understanding is that some of the stamps from 1971 to 1977 are indeed in the drawer/books, but apparently not all of them. So not all the stamps from 1971-1977 were officially copyrighted, although some were. Sue probably stated 1971 to be on the safe side -- as no US stamps before 1971 are copyright, but some stamps from 1971-1977 are copyright, and all from 1978 onward are copyright. Ellen stated 1978, because the current official USPS policy is to enforce the copyrights starting 1978 -- see pp435-436, Section G013 Trademarks and Copyrights, DMM Issue 58 (8-10-03). Specifically, subsection 13.2.1 Copyrighted Material: Probably more than you cared to read.  |
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,623
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jun 3, 2022 4:29:23 GMT
khj, my friend, it's not "more than I care to read". 😉
I care to read to the bottom of it, to know exactly.
I agree with you.
Now, the question is: which stamps images from USA (to cover both USPOD and USPS eras) can I use commercially, because they don't have ANY copyright protection?
The complex answer seem to be:
1. No stamp after 1.1.1978, because USPS owns the copyright.
2. Maybe some of the stamps from 1971-1978, IF they were not copyrighted on paper ledgers.
3. All stamps issued before 1.1.1971, UNLESS (maybe):
-there's an underlying copyright belonging to the stamp artwork designer (?), or
-there's a copyrighted logo or image (like the Chrysler building, maybe?).
What about personalized stamps (["custom(ized) postage"], like I designed at Zazzle, 2006-2020? Even my own photos.
I want to know officially/legally and undoubtedly which stamps I can use commercially, from every country.
So, 1971 looks like the best cut-off date for USA. Exceptions?
Besides stamps, my commercial intended use of maxicards also deals with the possible copyright for postcards (?).
I really want to know what maxicards image, from USA or any other country, can be used commercially, for profit.
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khj
Member
Posts: 1,524
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Post by khj on Jun 4, 2022 6:11:11 GMT
3. All stamps issued before 1.1.1971, UNLESS (maybe): -there's an underlying copyright belonging to the stamp artwork designer (?), or -there's a copyrighted logo or image (like the Chrysler building, maybe?). USPS was formed 1Jul1971, so technically you get an additional half year of non-copyrighted US stamps. Yeah, I imagine there may be some artistic/commercial copyrights worked into some stamp designs prior to 1971. Given how aggressive Disney gets, the 6c Disney stamp Scott US#1355(11Sep1968) is probably off limits. |
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,623
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jun 23, 2022 16:35:25 GMT
Copyright..."Let it go", but not by Disney lawyers, huh?
I wonder if San Marino Post paid Disney to allow Disney characters on their stamp series, long ago?
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