Commons:Currency

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Currency is one of the most widely-available artifacts — practically anyone in a country using a certain currency can digitize it using a scanner. It's also highly informational, often pertinent not only to the currency itself, but to the subjects that it depicts, such as national symbols. This makes it a good candidate for inclusion in Wikimedia Commons. However, like other government works, the copyright status of currency designs varies from nation to nation and sometimes even between currencies in the same nation. Moreover, the use of reproductions of currency is carefully controlled by counterfeiting law. This page documents licensing requirements, tags, and printing requirements of various kinds of currency around the world and links the relevant categories on Wikimedia Commons.

Contents

[edit] Counterfeiting tag

The {{counterfeiting}} tag is used to describe the terms under which an image on Commons may be printed without violating criminal counterfeiting law. This is particularly important for projects such as the print version of Wikipedia and other derivative print uses, which would wish to avoid inadvertently violating these laws. Below is an example.

{{counterfeiting|Must be printed at a size of at most 18 cm (7 inches) long and in black and white.}}
1 franc 1999 1.png All images in this article may be subject to criminal counterfeiting law. To help avoid violation, be sure to comply with the following conditions: Must be printed at a size of at most 18 cm (7 inches) long and in black and white.

We make no guarantees in this advice and cannot be held responsible if it is incomplete or inaccurate.

[edit] Countries

[edit] Albania

Symbol OK.svg OK {{PD-Albania-exempt}}

[edit] Algeria

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK for the currency issued by the current Bank of Algeria. According to the Algerian copyright act, The works of the State made licitly available to the public may be freely used for non commercial purpose [...]. There is a non-commercial restriction that makes both coins or banknotes incompatible with Commons licensing policy.

This does not apply to the banknotes and coins issued by the Banque de l'Algérie, the banking authority during French rule (until 1958), because it was not an official body of the current Algerian state. Copyright status of this currency is currently undetermined.

[edit] Armenia

Symbol OK.svg OK Armenian currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 6 of Copyright law of Armenia.

Please use {{PD-AM-exempt}} for Armenian currency images.

[edit] Australia

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK The Royal Australian Mint claims copyright on the designs of coins made after 1 May 1969. See their website.

The Crimes (Currency) Act 1981 has provisions to prevent misleading reproductions of currency. The Reserve Bank of Australia website states that "Consent is not required for a representation that is not capable of misleading. However, the legislation places an obligation on those wanting to make the representation to ensure that it is not capable of misleading the public into believing it is a genuine note." See The Reserve Bank of Australia website.

[edit] Azerbaijan

Symbol OK.svg OK Azerbaijan currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 7 of Copyright law of Azerbaijan.

Please use {{PD-AZ-exempt}} for Azerbaijan currency images.

[edit] Belarus

Symbol OK.svg OK Belarusian currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 8 of Copyright law of Belarus.

Please use {{PD-BY-exempt}} for Belarus currency images.

[edit] Bulgaria

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Bulgarian National Bank require written permission for reproduction of Bulgarian banknotes and coins of all emissions in physical or electronic form.

[edit] Canada

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK "The Bank of Canada is the registered copyright owner of all design elements of Canadian bank notes [...] [T]he Bank's written permission for the reproduction of bank note images must be obtained before the image is reproduced." The sole exception is that "It is not necessary to request the Bank's permission to use bank note images for film or video purposes, provided that the images are intended to show a general indication of currency, and that there is no danger that the images could be misused."[1] Other images of Canadian currency might still be permitted on local Wikipedia projects under fair dealing.

Counterfeiting law will not apply to any printed replica of Canadian printed money that is "less than 3/4 or greater than 1 1/2 times the length or width of the bank note; and in black and white or only one-sided."[2]

[edit] Chile

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Pursuant to the exclusive authority of the Central Bank of Chile ("CBC") to issue banknotes and to coin money, in accordance to sections 28 eq seq. of its Constitutional Organic Act, express certainty is left that CBC has the intellectual property on the designs of the banknotes and coins in circulation, registered in the Department of Intellectual Property under N° 115.594. Therefore, total or partial publication or reproduction of such banknotes and coins without CBC consent is prohibited. Also, the breach of the aforementioned is subject to criminal and civil sanctions established by sections 78 eq seq. of the Act N° 17.336. - Banco Central de Chile

[edit] Croatia

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK The Croatian National Bank is the holder of all propietary rights and copyrights on kuna banknotes and kuna and lipa coins, and their reproduction is subject to prior approval of the Croatian National Bank (Article 24 of the Act on the Croatian National Bank, Official Gazette 75/2007) [3]

[edit] Denmark

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK The National Bank of Denmark states at their homepage "Danmarks Nationalbank issues Danish banknotes and coins and holds the copyright to their design."

Speficically regarding coins it is also stated that "anyone reproducing coins should be aware that state symbols and portraits of the Queen may not be reproduced without the permission of the Danish National Archives and the Court, respectively, cf. the rules on use of state symbols and the right to own portraits."

Answering a direct copyright clarification they refuse to answer any specific questions.

[edit] Estonia

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Estonian currency was removed from the public domain in 2000.

Please use {{EEK banknote}} or {{EEK coin}} for Estonian currency images.

[edit] Euro

The rules for reproducing Euro banknotes were published in the Official Journal of the European Union, L078 of 25 March 2003, pages 16-19. In summary, Euro banknotes are copyright of the European Central Bank, and the following rules apply to one-sided reproductions, such as pictures on websites:

  • The size of the reproduction must be at least 125% or not greater than 75% of both the length and width of the banknote.
  • Reproductions depicting a part of either side of the note should be smaller than one-third of the original side.
  • On intangible reproductions (e.g. websites), the word SPECIMEN must be printed diagonally across the reproduction in Arial font or similar, in a non-transparent colour contrasting with the dominant colour of the note. The length of the word must be at least 75% of the length of the reproduction, and the height of the word must be at least 15% of the width of the reproduction. The resolution of the image must not exceed 72 dots per inch (dpi).

Euro coins: Copyright of the national side of the coin is determined by the individual Member States in accordance with national legislation. Copyright of the common side of the coin lies with the Commission of the European Union, which has determined that reproduction in a format without relief (e.g. drawing, pictures), provided that they are not detrimental to the image of the euro, is authorised [4] [5].

[edit] Finland

The Bank of Finland claims that using images of banknotes and Euro coins is subject to permission. For Euro banknotes and the shared side of Euro coins see Euro above. For markka banknotes permission has been granted given certain safety meassures, see the guidelines below. There is a statement from the Finnish Copyright Council (a semi-official body giving advice on copyright) that use of an image on a markka coin is not subject to copyright and it seems that the statement could apply more broadly.

Decisions by governmental institutions are excepted from copyright. This includes images that are part of the decisions (see e.g. statement 1989:13 of the Finnish Copyright Council, on using the image of a coin), unless those are separate works, which is thought to apply only in unusual cases. In the old law on money there was no mention of copyright. Thus the images on markka banknotes and coins should be in the public domain, and likewise the images on the national side of euro coins.

There might be copyright issues, independent of the copyright by governmental bodies, if a design element is a derived work of a pre-existing work. The last 20 mark and 100 mark banknotes are known to be encumbered by this.

Counterfeit legislation does apply: it is criminal to publish images that are confusingly similar to legal tender (chapter 37, article 7 of the penal code). For instructions about Euro notes and coins see above.

The Bank of Finland claims it has copyright on Finnish (i.e. mark) banknotes and states that illegal reproduction of banknotes is punishable as counterfeit or fraud according to chapter 33 and 36 of the Penal Code (these seem not to apply to good faith use), or as breach of copyright. According to the Bank of Finland permission from the Ministry of Finance must be obtained for reproduction of the shared or national side of Euro coins, or part of it.

[edit] Georgia

Symbol OK.svg OK Georgian currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 8 of Copyright law of Georgia.

Please use {{PD-GE-exempt}} for Georgian currency images.

[edit] Hong Kong

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK section 103(1) of the Crimes Ordinance (Chapter 200) of the Laws of Hong Kong stipulates that a person who, without the consent in writing of the Monetary Authority, reproduces on any substance whatsoever, and whether or not to the correct scale, any Hong Kong currency note or any part of a Hong Kong currency note, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for 6 months and a fine of $20,000. Thus, reproduction of Hong Kong currency note images for using in internet also requires the written consent of the Monetary Authority.

It is worth to note that any approved reproduction under section 103 is not allowed to be copied or further reproduced for other usage without the written consent of the Monetary Authority. Therefore, applications for reproduction of Hong Kong currency note images for further copying or reproduction by third party will generally not be approved

[edit] Iceland

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK http://www.sedlabanki.is/?PageID=278

[edit] India

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Reproduction of motifs / design of coins / currency notes are governed by the provisions of Section 489 of Indian Penal Code, which is not governed by Reserve Bank of India.

[edit] Ireland

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Irish money is copyrighted. According to the Irish Copyright Law of 2000, Chapter 24: Copyright: Legal Tender; §200, Irish coins and bank notes are copyrighted, even if issued before that provision became effective (§200(3)); i.e. older coins and bank notes are retroactively placed under copyright. The copyright on legal tender is perpetual, i.e. does not expire at all. The act applies to all coins and banknotes issued since 1926 (§200(9)).

[edit] Kazakhstan

Symbol OK.svg OK Kazakhstan currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 8 of Copyright law of Kazakhstan.

Please use {{PD-KZ-exempt}} for Kazakhstan currency images.

[edit] Korea (South)

The current Bank of Korea owns copyright on all currency issued in South Korea since its establishement in 1950. The Bank of Korea allows anyone to reproduce and use the reproduction of its currency without requiring a permission but under certain restrictions, as explained in the Guidelines for the Reproduction of Bank of Korea Notes and Coins.

Please use {{South Korean currency}} for South Korean currency images that meet the requirement of Section 3.C (Intangible reproductions) of the currency reproduction guidelines.

[edit] Kyrgyzstan

Symbol OK.svg OK Kyrgyzstan currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 8 of Copyright law of Kyrgyzstan .

Please use {{PD-KG-exempt}} for Kyrgyzstan currency images.

[edit] Latvia

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Latvian banknotes are copyrighted as per the Latvian copyright law, Chapter IV, section 171. Bank of Latvia English copyright statement Latvian statement

[edit] Lithuania

Symbol OK.svg OK Lithuanian currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 5 of Copyright law of Lithuania.

Please use {{PD-LT-exempt}} for Lithuanian currency images.

[edit] Moldova

Symbol OK.svg OK Moldova currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 7 of Copyright law of Moldova.

Please use {{PD-MD-exempt}} for Moldova currency images.

[edit] The Netherlands

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Guilders are subject to copyright 70 years after the first publication. De Nederlandsche Bank has been contacted and they state that the introduction of the Euro does not change this.

For Euro see #Euro

[edit] Norway

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Norwegian currency is protected by copyright. The Bank of Norway, which administrates the rights of the artists, states: "Use of illustrations of Norwegian coin- eg billpatterns must not violate the rights of the authors". This means, among other things, that the original pattern may not be manipulated. As they are non-derivative, images of Norwegian currency may not be used unless it is in the public domain due to age (70 years after end of year of author's death). When using images of Norwegian currency under fair use rules on other projects, see http://www.norgesbank.no/sedler_og_mynt/gjengivelse.html for other conditions that apply, such as size regulations, maximum resolution etc.

[edit] Poland

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Polish National Bank require written permission for reproduction of Polish banknotes and coins of all emissions in physical or electronic form.

[edit] Romania

Symbol OK.svg OK Article 9(d) of the Romanian copyright law of March 14, 1996 excludes means of payment from copyright. Use {{PD-money-Romania}} to tag reproductions of Romanian currency.

[edit] Russia

Symbol OK.svg OK Russian currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 1259(6) of Part IV of the Civil Code of Russia (which covers intellectual property rights). Drafts for such items, however, are copyrighted by their authors. When a public body adopts such a draft and turns it into an official symbol, the resulting official symbol is not copyrighted and may be reproduced without mentioning the original author(s) of the draft. (See article 1264.)

Monetary items were already excluded from copyright in the 1993 legislation, which was in effect until the end of 2007. (See article 8 of the 1993 law, as amended in 2004).

Please use {{PD-RU-exempt}} for images of Russian currency.

[edit] Singapore

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Section 20 of the Singapore Currency Act states that "Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall import, manufacture, sell, circulate or otherwise distribute any merchandise or product containing any design or part thereof used in or on any currency note or coin."

[edit] Sweden

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK Currency is protected by copyright in Sweden. (see Commons:Deletion_requests/Image:200_kr_swedish_coin_front_white.jpg)

[edit] Switzerland

Symbol OK.svg OK Currency is not covered by copyright in Switzerland. Article 5(1)(b) of the Swiss copyright law (Bundesgesetz über das Urheberrecht und verwandte Schutzrechte) from 1993 on works not subject to copyright explicitly excludes monetary items (Zahlungsmittel) from copyright.

Reproduction of banknotes that may be confused with genuine bills are prohibited by article 243 of the Swiss Penal Code.[6] The Swiss National Bank has issued some guidelines on how to reproduce banknotes in a way they believe not to trigger that prohibition. Basically, they recommend printing the text "Specimen" across the image, and not reproducing the bills at their true size or in their true colors.

{{PD-Switzerland-official}} can be used to tag images of Swiss currency.

[edit] Tajikistan

Symbol OK.svg OK Tajikistan currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 7 of Copyright law of Tajikistan.

Please use {{PD-TJ-exempt}} for Tajikistan currency images.

[edit] Turkmenistan

Symbol OK.svg OK Turkmenistan currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 1061 of Civil Code of Turkmenistan.

Please use {{PD-TK-exempt}} for Turkmenistan currency images.

[edit] Turkey

Symbol OK.svg OK Turkish Currency Law

Turkish Central Bank:

İnternet:

4) Orijinal banknotların boyutunda çözünürlüğünün 72 dpi (dots per inch –2.54 cm başına nokta sayısını-) geçmemesi koşuluyla elektronik ortamda çoğaltılması ve

5) Elektronik ortamda yapılan çoğaltmalarda, çoğaltmaların üzerine “ÖRNEKTİR GEÇMEZ” veya “SPECIMEN” ibaresinin; uzunluğu yapılan çoğaltmanın uzunluğunun en az %75’i, yüksekliği ise yapılan çoğaltmanın genişliğinin en az %15’i olacak şekilde, şeffaf olmayan (mat) ve banknotun hakim rengine zıtlık oluşturan bir renkte, çaprazlama olarak Arial veya Arial tarzına yakın bir yazı tipinde, çift taraflı çoğaltmalarda çoğaltmaların her iki yüzünde de yer alacak şekilde basılması, uygundur.

summary: if images available theese condition, you can use on the internet

Please use {{PD-TR-Gov}} for Turkey currency images.

[edit] Ukraine

Symbol OK.svg OK Ukrainian currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 10 of Copyright law of Ukraine.

Please use {{PD-UA-exempt}} for Ukrainian currency images.

[edit] United States

Many but not all coins or bills produced by the United States Mint are in the public domain as works of the Federal Government; some were designed by third parties who assigned rights to the Mint.[7] The status of each coin or bill should be assessed individually.

Regarding counterfeiting, the United States Secret Service says: "Printed reproductions, including photographs of paper currency [...] of the United States and foreign governments (except under the conditions previously listed) are violations of Title 18, Section 474 of the United States Code."[8] See the complete text of Title 18, Section 474, which also restricts transmitting electronic images "with intent to defaud" but says that "The Secretary shall establish a system [...] to ensure that the legitimate use of such electronic methods and retention of such reproductions by businesses, hobbyists, press and others shall not be unduly restricted."

Please use {{PD-USGov-money}} for relevant US currency images.

[edit] United Kingdom

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK UK banknotes are copyrighted. The Bank of England owns the copyright on its banknotes,[9] and banknotes carry a © notice.[10] In addition, it is a criminal offence under s18(1) of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 "to reproduce on any substance whatsoever, and whether or not on the correct scale, any British currency note or any part of a British currency note."[11]

Coin designs are copyrighted by the Royal Mint.[12] So although publishing images of coins is not prohibited by the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 (c.45) (Its section 19 applies only to "imitation British coins", which are defined as "any thing which resembles a British coin in shape, size and the substance of which it is made."), such images can be published only with the consent of the Royal Mint.

Both the Bank of England's copyright on banknotes and the Royal Mint's copyright on coin designs are instances of Crown Copyright. Published photographs or engravings subject to Crown Copyright which were created more than 50 years ago are now in the public domain (use {{PD-UKGov}}) and so images of British coins which were minted and circulated more than 50 years ago are permissible.

[edit] USSR

Symbol OK.svg OK ex-USSR currency is not copyrighted.

Please use {{PD-RU-exempt}} for images of Soviet (USSR) currency.

[edit] Uzbekistan

Symbol OK.svg OK Uzbekistan currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by by article 8 of Copyright law of Uzbekistan. Drafts for such items, however, are copyrighted by their authors. When a public body adopts such a draft and turns it into an official symbol, the resulting official symbol is not copyrighted and may be reproduced without mentioning the original author(s) of the draft (article 9).

Please use {{PD-UZ-exempt}} for Uzbekistan currency images.

[edit] Vietnam

Nuvola apps error.png Not OK. The Prime Minister of Vietnam decides "Article 3.- The following acts are strictly prohibited [..] 3. Duplicating Vietnamese money for any purposes without written consents of the State Bank."[13]. Moreover, as seen in {{PD-VietnamGov}}, banknotes and coins can't be considered "Legal documents, administrative documents and other documents in the judicial domain and official translations of these documents".

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