[Wikipedia-l] copyright status of russian stamps

[Ruud Koot]

According to [1] stamps from Ukraine are in the public domain. This 
would follow from the following two clauses from respectively the 
Ukrainian Copyright Law [2] and Postal Law [3]:

> (d) State symbols of Ukraine, government awards; symbols and signs of
>  government authorities, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other
> military formations; symbols of territorial communities; symbols and
> signs of enterprises, institutions and organizations;


> postage stamp - a state sign, manufactured according to the procedure
> set forth by legislation, with specified face value and state,
> serving as the tool of payment for postal services provided by the
> national operator.

The Russian Copright [4] and Postal [5] laws include similar clauses:

> Article 8. Works Not Protected by Copyright
> 
> The following are not protected by copyright:
> 
> official documents (laws, court decisions, other texts of 
> legislative, administrative or judicial character) and official 
> translations thereof; State emblems and official signs (flags, 
> armorial bearings, decorations, monetary signs and other State 
> symbols and official signs); works of folklore; communications 
> concerning events and facts that have informational character.


> the state signs of post payment - post stamps and other signs,
> applied to the post sendings and those confirming the payment of
> services to postal communication;


[1]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Stamps/Public_domain
[2]http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ukraine._Law_on_Copyright_and_Related_Rights
[3]http://www.welcometo.kiev.ua/pls/ili/docs/LAW_ENG/EQ2759-III_28-05-03.HTML
[4]http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Russian_Federation._Law_on_Copyright_and_Neighboring_Rights
[5]http://www.russianpost.ru/resp_engine.aspx?Path=RU/Home/law/postlaw


Would it be correct to conclude that Russian stamps are in the public
domain as well?

Ruud