Plagiarism in the stamp world … or does it not exist?
1985. On the occasion of the first Frisian Eleven Cities Tour for professional cyclists, the Leeuwarden City Post issued the series below. In Leeuwarden, the bicycle is used not only on stamps but also for mail delivery.
The City Post is independent in the production and issuance of stamps.
I do not find it strange that the theme “bicycle” and the theme “1st Frisian Eleven Cities Tour for professional cyclists” were chosen in 1985. It is even obvious, …….but I recognized the image!
I just didn't know yet what it was for. I started searching through my albums. And sure enough... I found the stamp issued nine years earlier in Des Afars et Des Issas in the context of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
I think the colors of the Montreal stamp are much nicer anyway! PS I haven't informed the Stadspost in Leeuwarden of my discovery. After all, they already know. 
I am very curious whether others have discovered similar “visual usage” before.
The design of Norway's post horn stamps was adopted more or less identically by Crete for their postage due stamps in 1901.
'@Jan, we spotted identical images once.
'@Lia, A wonderful example of worldwide imagery for the same good cause. Uniformity provides clarity and is therefore a trump card! I can say the same regarding the Elfstedentocht and the Olympic Games. The evolution of the bicycle continues, but is not visible on the stamps. A nine-year time difference!
Arjan, Okay! So it happens (or happened) more often. Do you think that constitutes plagiarism?
Regarding the global cause, breast cancer, I can imagine that there was correspondence about the use of imagery and that permission was granted.
This is Plagiarism.
The illustration has been copied in its entirety and altered here and there in a terrible way (color).
and that is not allowed unless the creator of the image has granted permission for this or the postal service, which often purchases the image from the illustrator along with ownership rights.
The image may be adjusted to create a unique (new) image.
But that does not apply in this case.
'@Linda, is it also plagiarism if it involves a stock photo that has been photoshopped twice in a completely unique way? Then it is a legal action, right? (I have no idea if this might be a stock photo, though! But it suddenly occurred to me that that might be possible.)
The first stamp of Corrientes (Argentina) is also a plagiarism, copied from the first French stamp.
see: http://www.filavaria.nl/corrientes.htm
The Crete example seems to me a typical case of plagiarism. It involves copying a design that was created, which is different from using the same photo. I have no idea whether there was already legislation regarding such matters at the time. In any case, I do not believe that Norway did anything.
By the way, based on these bicycle stamp images, I would say that the original stamp does not contain a photo but a drawn design? In that case, this also seems like pure plagiarism to me. Very lazy. Couldn't they have used a picture of the actual ride? But perhaps that still had to take place…
'@Lia that could indeed be possible,
but this concerns a picture from the 70s and as far as I know
The stock photo phenomenon is not that old.
I also do not believe that the postal service agrees to shared image rights, and they certainly do not use a stock photo. A photographer/illustrator/graphic designer receives the assignment.
for which they then have to pay a hefty price
And then it would be crazy if someone else were to flaunt that highly paid statue.
It could, of course, also be the case.
that Stadspost simply paid for it.
But why on earth would you want to make a seal that already exists????
'@Linda, I agree about the 70s! Then definitely not a stock photo!
@Everyone, Thanks for the response. Plagiarism has definitely been confirmed in my opinion. The original from 1976 is for sure a “bad” drawing. If you look at the first bike, for example, you can see that the horizontal rear fork on the right side is drawn twice, as being 1x for the right and 1x for the left. Furthermore, no brake or gear levers can be found either. That would all have been clearly visible in a photo.
Here is another famous case of plagiarism: the USA Special Delivery Stamp from 1922 (Scott E12) was counterfeited by the Dominican Republic in 1925.
See: http://www.filavaria.nl/images/plagiaatUSAdomincan.jpg
That's a nice one, Toon. The Dominicans at least put their own motorcycle in front of it.
Dear people, today I have created a webpage with about ten examples of PLAGIARISM with illustrations. For those interested, go to
http://www.filavaria.nl/plagiaat.htm
@Toon, I never could have dreamed that my little article would lead to the creation of a special webpage. Very nice. One more question, Toon; Are the Elfstedentocht stamps NOT postage stamps? You call them ADHESIVE stamps!! I will link the webpage from my blog as well.
Jan, there are groups in the philatelic world that do not WANT to see city and regional mail issues as stamps, because they are issued by “private individuals”. That is why I used the word “adhesive stamps”. It will remain an eternal debate.
Toon, I find it hard to understand why others don't want to see city stamps as stamps. The mail is delivered because (city) POSTAGE stamps have been affixed, and to me they are POSTAGE stamps too (also in MY text!)
ADHESIVE stamps do not exist in philately! Right!
Jan, Christmas stamps, among other things, can't you also call them adhesive stamps?
Jan, I agree with you too; city stamps are used for “mail” within a city or region. Incidentally, we often use the term "sticky stamps" for the little stickers issued by the Arab states (Um al-Quin, Sharzh, Manama, etc.). Those aren't real POSTAGE stamps either, but fake products designed to empty collectors' wallets. Which is NOT to say that City Mail is FAKE too!
Marc37, TNT does not sell adhesive stamps, not even for the Christmas period. We do know that you stick on a stamp, self-adhesive or not, but that doesn't make it an adhesive stamp.
Toon, the stamps from the mentioned states are indeed “pictures”, but for the thematic collector (including the bicycle stamp enthusiast!) sometimes quite nice.
'@Toon, it turned out to be a nice overview!
I was just looking for the address of the bicycle stamp dealer because I just received a press release from the Danes with a PDF featuring the new Danish cycling stamps. Tour of Denmark route map with 10 stamps featuring cyclists. Limited edition, they write. The stamps look like Danish vending machine stamps, but more what I would have expected from Tour de France stamps.
For the cycling enthusiast: the Danish sheet will be released in early August in an edition of 15.000 copies. So they'll be gone in no time. 10 self-adhesive stamps with photos from the Tour of Denmark 2009 and, between the two rows of 5, a map of Denmark with the route of this short tour in 2010.
Hello Jan & Lia,
Today we returned home from two weeks in the Achterhoek. Beautiful
Farm campsite, only… no Wi-Fi. So upon returning home, over 70 emails.
..Including yours. Really nice !!! Thanks for watching along and
The image for the upcoming series of bicycle stamps, I'm going to keep an eye on that.
keep it. Rode a beautiful 4-day cycling event in the Achterhoek. Had perfect weather, etc.