Ethiopia
Are Ethiopia stamps public domain?
It depends on the date: in the archive's reading, Ethiopian stamps issued in 1975 or earlier are public domain in 2026. Wikimedia Commons says Ethiopian stamps enter the public domain 50 years after the date of issue. Stamps issued in 1976 or later are not yet free under that rule, and the cutoff year moves forward each January.
Why 1975?
Wikimedia Commons says Ethiopia has no specific law on the copyright status of stamps, and it puts Ethiopian stamps in the public domain 50 years after the date of issue. Commons bases this on the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Protection Proclamation No. 410/2004. It quotes Article 20, which gives an author's heirs 50 years after the author's death, and the provision that protects an audiovisual work for 50 years from its making or its communication to the public.1 Commons does not say whether the 50 years run from the issue date or from the end of that year. In the archive's reading, the term ends with the calendar year, so stamps issued in 1975 became free on January 1, 2026.
Postal history and copyright
Commons applies the 2004 proclamation to Ethiopian stamps and does not say which law governed stamps issued before 2004, so in the archive's reading the question of the earlier law is open. Commons notes that Italy occupied Ethiopia between 1936 and 1941.1 Italy issued stamps inscribed "ETIOPIA" in May 1936, and stamps of Italian East Africa replaced them on February 7, 1938.2 Commons does not say whether Ethiopian or Italian rules apply to those issues, so their status is open. Commons also says the 2004 law was amended by Proclamation No. 872/2014, without describing any change to the term. A work from Ethiopia must be free in both Ethiopia and the United States before Commons accepts it.1
References 2
- ↑ Copyright rules for Ethiopia. Wikimedia Commons. Accessed October 7, 2026.
- ↑ Postage stamps and postal history of Ethiopia. Wikipedia. Accessed October 7, 2026.
Copyright law in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s own stamps follow the rule below. The historical issuers named here are read under the country’s general copyright law. A design answers Likely yes or Likely no only when every term that could apply agrees, and Unclear when they disagree.
- Named designer
- 50 years after the designer’s death
- Anonymous
- 50 years from issue
- Note
- No law exempts government work, but stamps are treated as free 50 years after issue.
Historical issuers read under this law: Ethiopia (French Post Offices), Ethiopia (Italian Occupation), Etiopia (Italian occupation), Italian East Africa.
Read from Wikimedia Commons, copyright rules for Ethiopia, revision 1269711302, checked October 8, 2026
The rule by period
Ethiopia stamps and the public domain: questions
- Are old Ethiopian stamps public domain?
- Yes, for stamps issued in 1975 or earlier. In the archive's reading, Ethiopian stamps enter the public domain 50 years after the end of their year of issue, so in 2026 the cutoff is 1975. Stamps issued in 1976 or later are not yet free, and the cutoff moves forward each January.
- When do 1976 Ethiopian stamps become public domain?
- On January 1, 2027. In the archive's reading, an Ethiopian stamp becomes public domain once 50 years have passed after the end of its year of issue. Ethiopian stamps issued in 1976 therefore become free at the start of 2027.
- What law covers the copyright of Ethiopian stamps?
- The Copyright and Neighboring Rights Protection Proclamation No. 410/2004. Ethiopia has no specific law on stamps, and the 50-year rule for Ethiopian stamps rests on that proclamation, later amended by Proclamation No. 872/2014. Which law covered Ethiopian stamps issued before 2004 is an open question.
- Are Italian occupation stamps of Ethiopia public domain?
- The question is open. Italy occupied Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941, issued stamps inscribed "ETIOPIA" in May 1936, and replaced them with stamps of Italian East Africa on February 7, 1938. Commons does not say whether Ethiopian or Italian rules apply to those issues.