Paris Hilton stamp

Lloyd A. de Vries points out on his Virtual Stamp Club Web site that celebrities on stamps can pose problems for cachetmakers.

So before you go off and print up a bunch of "Paris Freed!" covers with her picture on them, get them cancelled on the day she gets out, then offer them on e-Bay or at some stamp show... you better think twice.

Lloyd says, "Courts have upheld a celebrity's right to control, and charge for, use of his or her name, image and public persona. When that person dies, the right lives on, the intellectual property (as this area of law is called) of the estate."

Shown above is a make believe Paris Hilton stamp found on the Worth 1000 Web site which features this and celebrities in their on-going "Going Postal" stamp design contest series.

To view some more, click here.