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 Austria the denomination of personalised stamps can now be changed as well.)^[2] 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.^[3] Some stamp-issuing entities have in turn used their personalised stamp systems to issue "personalised" stamps personalised by the stamp issuing entity.^[4]

What is or possibly could be characterised as advocacy has also given rise to controversy; see below.

1 Dispensing methods
2 Stamp-issuing Entities
3 Copyright
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Dispensing methods

Personalised stamps can be obtained by the public or would-be purchasers or designers in a number of ways.

[edit] Stamp-issuing Entities

[edit] Åland

Åland Post offers personalised stamps.^[5]

[edit] Austria

The Austrian Postal Service^[6] has permitted personalisation of postage stamps.

[edit] Australia

Australia Post has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining its stamps.^[7]

[edit] Canada

Canada Post^[8] has permitted personalisation of postage stamps.

[edit] Finland

Personalised stamps are available in Finland in sheets of 20 and eight-stamp booklets.^[9]

[edit] Japan

Japan Post offers personalised postage stamps.^[10]

[edit] Luxembourg

In Luxembourg one may personalise a label beside the stamp.^[11]

[edit] Malaysia

Malaysia Post offers personalised stamps, though apparently purchasing is restricted to certain entities.^[12]

[edit] The Netherlands

Royal TGP Post has permitted personalisation of postage stamps.^[13]

[edit] Ukraine

Ukraine has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining its stamps.^[14]

[edit] United Kingdom

Royal Mail^[15] has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining their stamps.

[edit] United Nations

The United Nations^[16] has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining its stamps.

[edit] United States

In the United States personalized stamps are technically a form of meter labels^[17] and thus do not fall under the regulations for what can be depicted on U.S. stamps; for example, the restriction that people, with the exception of U.S. presidents, have to be dead for five years (formerly ten) before they can be commemorated is not applicable. This means that, under the standards for metered mail, they are also not supposed to be cancelled, though there are examples of this being done by unaware or other-enthusiastic employees, or perhaps as a favour for collectors.

Initially advertising was banned from this postage under a U.S. law banning advertising on U.S. securities, but this was later relaxed to allow for a test program.^{[citation needed]}

Stamps.com,^[18] Zazzle.com and Fuji provide United States Postal Service-approved personalised postage via PhotoStamps^[19] and ZazzleStamps and Yourstamps.com respectively; however, unlike in some foreign countries, the postage is defined not to be stamps, but are technically meter labels. Because they are regarded as meter labels, 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.^[20]

Customers order 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.^[21] 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,^[22] 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.^[23]

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.^[24]

At least some Yourstamps sheets come with a bonus of free stickers.^[25]

[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. 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!".^[26]^[27] However, there have been questions about why stamps which appear to promote hunting have been permitted.^[28]

[edit] Copyright

In some cases certain aspects of copyright law relating to personalised postage are unclear.^[29] However, Canada Post claims sole copyright in Canadian personalised stamps.^[30]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Categories: Technical aspects of philately

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