Personalised stamp

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A personalised stamp is a postage stamp where a picture or photograph can be added to the stamp by a member of the public, some non-governmental entity, or a governmental entity that is not in an official stamp-issuing capacity; it is obviously to be distinguished from personalised rubber stamps[1] as well as "Postal Pal," a label with picture on which a regular postage-stamp can be placed. In addition to mere personal expression the design of personalized stamps have served a number of other purposes such as the attempt to find missing persons.[2] What is or possibly could be characterised as advocacy has also given rise to controversy; see below.

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[edit] Åland Post

Åland Post offers personalised stamps.[3]

[edit] Austria

The Austrian Postal Service [4] has permitted personalisation of postage stamps.

[edit] Canada

Canada Post [5] has permitted personalisation of postage stamps.

[edit] The Netherlands

Royal TGP Post has permitted personalisation of postage stamps. [6]

[edit] Japan

Japan Post offers personalised postage stamps.[7]

[edit] United Nations

The United Nations[8] has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining its stamps.

[edit] Ukraine

Ukraine has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining its stamps.[9]

[edit] Australia

Australia Post has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining its stamps.[10]

[edit] United Kingdom

Royal Mail [11] has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining their stamps.

[edit] United States

Stamps.com [12], Zazzle.com and Fuji provide United States Postal Service-approved personalised postage via PhotoStamps[13] and ZazzleStamps and Yourstamps.com respectively; however, unlike in some foreign countries, the postage is defined not to be stamps, but are techincally meter labels.[14] This means that, under the standards for metered mail, they should not be cancelled; in this way, they are distinguished from NetStamps labels (a form of postage that could be printed out -- but not personalised -- on someone's PC, although some NetStamps labels come with pictures) in that the NetStamps labels "may or may not be canceled" based on local decisions.[15] One orders the postage online and it is mailed to the recipient at a premium over the cost of postage; there has been some criticism of how much this premium is.[16] Somewhat different is PremierPostage.com, which offers licenced U.S. postage of a similar type (outside the regular U.S. stamp programme and with similar indica), but issued by the company, not personalised by the individual.

(These forms of personalised postage should be distinguished from Pitney Bowes Stamp Expressions,[17] personalised postage printed out immediately via the use of a special printer.)

Although most postal regulations permit the exclusion of "objectionable" pictures on the stamps, The Smoking Gun in its investigation managed to create American postage stamps featuring the Rosenbergs, Jimmy Hoffa, Ted Kaczynski, Monica Lewinsky's dress, Slobodan Milošević and Nicolae Ceauşescu. [18]

Within a few weeks of the article detailing this abuse, PhotoStamps revised its policies, and as of September 2004 the company no longer accepted images that included adults or teenagers. They have since allowed these images again, under more stringent terms of service. [19]

At least some Yourstamps sheets come with a bonus of free stickers.[20]

[edit] Humane Society of the United States controversy

REACT Consulting Group filed a lawsuit against Zazzle for allowing Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) ZazzleStamps it alleged promoted or could promote an anti-hunting agenda while rejecting designs claiming "sportsmen" were conservationists.[21] Some of the HSUS ZazzleStamps were later removed from sale (on August 31, 2006), an action preceded by calls from SuperVegan blog to ""BUY TONS NOW!"[22].[23] However, there have been questions about why stamps which appear to promote hunting have been permitted.[24]

[edit] External links

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