Commons:Stamps/Americas

Stamps
Africa‌Americas‌Asia‌Europe‌Oceania‌Others

This page gives overviews of copyright rules for stamps in different countries or territories of the Americas. It is "transcluded" from individual page sections giving the rules for each country or territory.

Countries of the Americas

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COM:Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda

Public domain for the stamps published before 1 January 1974 (older than 50 years) if the work is anonymous. See {{PD-Antigua and Barbuda}}.
See also: Category:Stamps of Antigua and Barbuda

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COM:Argentina

Argentina

The basic copyright law of Argentina is Law No. 11.723 of September 28, 1933, on Legal Intellectual Property Regime (Copyright Law, as last amended by Law No. 26.570 of November 25, 2009). There is no mention of stamps or official works in the law, but Article 8 (as translated) says that "The ownership of anonymous intellectual works belonging to institutions, corporations or legal persons shall last for 50 years from the date of publication of those works." The government of Argentina is an institution and not a natural person so assume that where a stamp is anonymous, it is out of copyright after 50 years. Use {{PD-AR-Anonymous}} where applicable. If the designer of the stamp is shown, the stamp will remain in copyright for seventy years after death.
See also: Category:Stamps of Argentina

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COM:Bahamas

The Bahamas

No information available

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COM:Barbados

Barbados

No information available

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COM:Belize

Belize

According Belize's Copyright Act of 2000, where a protected work has been made by or under the direction or control of the Government and, apart from this subsection no copyright would subsist in the work, then copyright shall subsist therein by virtue of this subsection and shall initially belong to the State.^{[Cap.252/2000 Section 25(4)]}

No special terms are specified for stamps or other government works, so standard copyright rules apply.

For stamps issued before Belizean independence (1981), crown copyright applies.

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COM:Bolivia

Bolivia

The Law No.1322 of April 13, 1992 on Copyright states that copyright protection expires 50 years after the author's death calculated from 1 January following the year of death.^{[1322/1992 Article 18]}

For "anonymous works ... and in pseudonymous works, the economic rights shall last 50 years after the works have been made known" also calculated from 1 January of the following year.^{[1322/1992 Article 19]}

For stamps published more than 50 years ago (before 1 January 1974) use {{PD-Bolivia}}.
See also: Category:Stamps of Bolivia

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COM:Brazil

Brazil

Before 1983

use {{PD-BrazilGov}}

After 1983

Canada

There is no special provision in the copyright law for postage stamps. Section 12 of the 1921 Copyright Act of Canada states that for government works (work that is, or has been, prepared or published by or under the direction or control of Her Majesty or any government department) the copyright is 50 years following the end of the calendar year during which the work has been published. This is known as Crown copyright.

There are also special non-copyright regulations which apply: see https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._1292/page-1.html.

For stamps published more than 50 years ago (before 1^st of January 1974) use {{PD-Canada-stamp}}.
See also: Category:Stamps of Canada

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COM:Chile

Chile

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Chile

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COM:Colombia

Colombia

Stamps appear to be out of copyright after 70 years. If stamp is published before 1 January 1954 please use {{PD-Colombia}}.
See also: Category:Stamps of Colombia

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COM:Costa Rica

Costa Rica

The basic copyright law of Costa Rica is: Ley Nº 6683 - Ley de Derechos de Autor y Derechos Conexos. There are no specific provision for copyrights of postage stamps, but all works are copyrighted until 70 years after the author's death. In the case of government agencies and other public entities the copyrights of official works expired after 25 years, and in special cases after 50 years (i.e. books), both since the original publication date.
See also: Category:Stamps of Costa Rica

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COM:Cuba

Cuba

Modern stamps of this country are not in public domain or their status is unknown. Cuba was under Spanish control until 1898 and then under U.S. control until the Republic was established on May 20, 1902. Accordingly, the copyright applicable to stamps issued during those time periods would be Spain and the U.S.
See also: Category:Stamps of Cuba

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COM:Dominica

Dominica

Under the 2003 Copyright Act, copyright in a work made by or under the direction of the State expires 70 years from the end of the year in which it was made.^{[2003 Section 20(3)]}
See also: Category:Stamps of Dominica

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COM:Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

No information available

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COM:Ecuador

Ecuador

Under the Intellectual Property Law (Codification No. 2006-13) there is no exception for stamps, which would be protected for 70 years from publication.

Protected works shall include, inter alia, the following: ... works of painting, drawing, engraving and lithography ....^{[2006-13 Art.8(f)]}
The employer or commissioner owns copyright in works by made employees or commissioned.^{[2006-13 Art.16]}
Where the holder of rights in a work from the time of creation of the work is a legal person, the period of protection shall be 70 years from the making, disclosure or publication of the work, whichever is the later.^{[2006-13 Art.81]}
See also: Category:Stamps of Ecuador

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COM:El Salvador

El Salvador

According to the 2017 revision, works owned by legal entities are protected for 70 years counted from 1 January of the year following that of first publication.^{[2017 Article 86(c)]}

Translation of the specific permission to use images of postage stamps for non-commercial educational, philatelic and cultural purposes was contained in an email message dated 11 January 2007 from Silvia María Orantes, Head of the Philatelic Office, Government of El Salvador but commercial restriction images are not permitted here.
See also: Category:Stamps of El Salvador

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COM:Grenada

Grenada

No information available

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COM:Guatemala

Guatemala

No information available

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COM:Guyana

Guyana

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Guyana

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COM:Haiti

Haiti

. Stamps by artists deceased more than 60 years ago (or pseudonymously designed more than 60 years ago, before 1 January 1964) are free.^{[2005 Article 20–23]}
See also: Category:Stamps of Haiti

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COM:Honduras

Honduras

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Honduras

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COM:Jamaica

Jamaica

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Jamaica

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COM:Mexico

Mexico

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Mexico

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COM:Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Stamps are not mentioned among the works not subject to copyright.^{[312/1999 Article 16]} The 1904 Civil Code protected government works for 10 years after publication and the 1999 copyright law was not retroactive, so stamps issued prior to 1989 are in the public domain.
See also: Category:Stamps of Nicaragua

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COM:Panama

Panama

Under the Law No. 64 of October 10, 2012, stamps are not excluded from protection (e.g. as official texts).^{[64/2012 Article 13]}

Copyright lasts for 70 years after death of the author or coauthor, or 70 years from publication if the work is anonymous or pseudonymous ^{[64/2012 Article 59–60]}. However, the economic rights for works created by authors who died before Law 15 of 8 August 1994 came into force will have the duration of 80 years as provided for in the Administrative Code of 1917.^{[64/2012 Article 194]} In effect, works by authors who died after 1943 are still protected. For older stamps, if applicable, use {{PD-Panama}}.
See also: Category:Stamps of Panama

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COM:Paraguay

Paraguay

: Stamps are not mentioned in Law No. 1328/98 on Copyright and Related Rights, and are not included in the categories that are not protected.^{[1328/1998 Article 8]}
See also: Category:Stamps of Paraguay

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COM:Peru

Peru

Stamps created prior to 1971: Some stamps were created by Casa de Correos y Telégrafos, today Ministry of Transport and Communications-owned Servicios Postales del Perú (Serpost). In Law No. 13714 of 1961, works by the government had a duration of 25 years and its copyright expired before 1996.; For stamps created by the Government and published before 1971 use {{PD-Peru-organization}}, for other works use {{PD-old-auto}} where applicable.
Stamps created since 1971: The basic law on copyright in Peru is contained in Legislative Decree No. 822 of April 23, 1996.

There is no special mention of stamps in this law as "official work".^{[822/1996 Art.9]} Copyright lasts for 70 years from death, calculated from the 1 January following the year of death, or for 70 years from the year of disclosure for anonymous and pseudonymous works.^{[822/1996 Art.52–53]}
See also: Category:Stamps of Peru

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COM:Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Saint Kitts and Nevis

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COM:Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

No information available

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COM:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

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COM:Suriname

Suriname

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Suriname

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COM:Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Trinidad and Tobago

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COM:United States

United States of America

According to Title 17 of the United States Code, the copyright status of stamps depends on when they were first issued.

Before 1978: In the public domain as a work of the federal government. Use {{PD-USGov}}
1978 onward: Copyrighted by the United States Postal Service after 1 January 1978 (the date on which the Copyright Act of 1976 went into effect).^[1] Written permission is needed.^[2]
See also: Category:Stamps of United States

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COM:Uruguay

Uruguay

No information available
See also: Category:Stamps of Uruguay

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COM:Venezuela

Venezuela

Copyright lasts for 60 years from death, calculated from the 1 January following the year of death.^{[1993 Article 25]} The copyright in anonymous or pseudonymous works shall expire after 60 years counted from January 1 of the year following that of the first publication thereof.^{[1993 Article 27]}

Use template {{PD-Venezuela}} where applicable.
See also: Category:Stamps of Venezuela

Other areas

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COM:Anguilla

Some citation text may not have been transcluded
↑ http://about.usps.com/corporate-social-responsibility/stamp-collecting.htm#asc8 ↑ http://about.usps.com/doing-business/rights-permissions/welcome.htm USPS site

[1] ttp://about.usps.com/corporate-social-responsibility/stamp-collecting.htm#asc8

[2] ttp://about.usps.com/doing-business/rights-permissions/welcome.htm USPS site

[1]

[2]

Commons:Stamps/Americas

Countries of the Americas

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