Are Indonesian stamps public domain?

Yes. In the archive's reading, Indonesian stamps are public domain at any date, because Article 43(b) of Indonesia's 2014 copyright law covers works published by or on behalf of the government, stamps among them. It has not been determined whether such works may be modified or used for derivative works.

Can I modify or adapt Indonesian stamp designs?

That has not been determined. Indonesian stamps are public domain in the archive's reading under Article 43(b) of the 2014 copyright law, which covers works published by or on behalf of the government. Whether works covered by Article 43 may be modified or used for derivative works is still an open point.

Indonesia

Are Indonesia stamps public domain?

Yes, Indonesian stamps are public domain, in the archive's reading of Wikimedia Commons, because Commons reads Article 43(b) of the 2014 copyright law as covering works published by or on behalf of the government. No cutoff date applies. Commons adds that it has not been determined whether such works may be modified or used to make derivative works.

Why any date?

Indonesia's Copyright Law of 2014 (Law 28/2014) lists acts that do not infringe copyright. Article 43(b) covers publication, distribution and reproduction done by or on behalf of the government, unless a law, or a statement on the work or at its publication, says the work is protected.¹ Commons applies this to postal stamps and asks uploaders to give them its license tag for works the government publishes or distributes.¹² The rule carries no date. Commons notes one open point: it has not been determined whether works covered by Article 43 may be modified or used for derivative works.¹

Postal history and copyright

According to Wikipedia, Indonesian stamps began with those of the Dutch East Indies, the first issued on April 1, 1864.³ During the Japanese occupation colonial stamps were overprinted, and Indonesian nationalists later overprinted stored stock with inscriptions such as "Repoeblik Indonesia" and "RI".³ The Netherlands transferred sovereignty on December 27, 1949.³⁴ Commons notes that the Dutch Auteurswet 1912 governed copyright there from 1912 to 1982, but its note on stamps does not say whether Article 43(b) reaches issues of the colonial government.¹ The archive files Netherlands Indies stamps under the Netherlands and applies that country's rule to them.

References 4

↑ Copyright rules for Indonesia. Wikimedia Commons, June 23, 2026. Accessed October 8, 2026.
↑ Wikimedia Commons license tag (Indonesia). Wikimedia Commons, August 21, 2024. Accessed October 8, 2026.
↑ Postage stamps and postal history of Indonesia. Wikipedia, March 10, 2025. Accessed October 8, 2026.
↑ Indonesia (Q252). Wikidata, October 4, 2026. Accessed October 8, 2026.

Copyright law in Indonesia

Indonesia’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: 70 years after the designer’s death
Anonymous: 50 years from issue
Note: Stamps are treated as public domain under Article 43(b), since government publication is not an infringement unless protection is stated. Work of an organization lasts 50 years from publication.

Historical issuers read under this law: Japanese Naval Control Area, Java (Japanese Occupation), Philatelic items of 2018 Asian Games, Riau-Lingga Archipelago, Sumatra (Japanese Occupation), West Irian.

Read from Wikimedia Commons, copyright rules for Indonesia, revision 1236925015, checked October 8, 2026

The rule by period

PeriodRule

Any datePublic domain: a government work, unprotected under Article 43(b).Commons reads Article 43(b) of the 2014 law as freeing works published by or on behalf of the government, stamps among them.

Indonesia stamps and the public domain: questions

Are Indonesian stamps public domain?: Yes. In the archive's reading, Indonesian stamps are public domain at any date, because Article 43(b) of Indonesia's 2014 copyright law covers works published by or on behalf of the government, stamps among them. It has not been determined whether such works may be modified or used for derivative works.
Can I modify or adapt Indonesian stamp designs?: That has not been determined. Indonesian stamps are public domain in the archive's reading under Article 43(b) of the 2014 copyright law, which covers works published by or on behalf of the government. Whether works covered by Article 43 may be modified or used for derivative works is still an open point.
Are Dutch East Indies stamps public domain?: They follow the Netherlands rule, not Indonesia's. The archive files stamps of the Dutch East Indies, first issued on April 1, 1864, under the Netherlands and applies that country's rule to them. Wikimedia Commons' note on Indonesian stamps does not say whether Indonesia's 2014 exemption for government works reaches colonial issues.