THE POSTAGE STAMP DEFINED AT UPU CONGRESS (continued)

The Congress approved the modification of Article 6 of the UPU Convention to include a more precise definition of the postage stamp and asks that the conditions of issue be fixed by one single official postal authority in each country.
It also recommended that the intellectual property of the name of the state and of its symbols be registered as protected trademarks, and that the national and postal laws that protect the integrity of the postage stamp and the image and reputation of the issuing state to be reinforced ...

UPU welcomes private sector
FOR the first time in its 130-year history, the Universal Postal Union is giving postal ‘stakeholders’, ie those organisations other than public postal operators or regulators, a voice in the UPU’s deliberations and the postal world's future direction ... Among the 19 member organisations are the philatelic groups, AIJP (journalists), ASCAT (publishers), FIP (collectors), and IFSDA (dealers).

New UPU director general
AFTER ten years in office Thomas E Leavey (USA) has been succeeded as director general of the UPU by Edouard Dayan, the first Frenchman to be appointed to the post. His deputy is Huang Guozhong (China), who succeeds Moussibahou Mazou (Republic of Congo).
The new incumbents will serve for four years until the next UPU Congress in Nairobi, Kenya, 2008, at which they can reapply for a second term.

Tsunami assistance
ONE of Edouard Dayan's first duties was to announce that the UPU would offer assistance to the affected countries on the Indian Ocean rim in the restoration of postal services damaged by the tsunami disaster on December 26 2004. A fund had been created to which UPU member countries were invited to donate.

The UPU Congress report can be read in full in the February 2005 Philatelic Exporter - to obtain a copy contact subscriptions

Stampex (continued)

Several societies are holding meetings and the National Youth Stamp Group is arranging activities for youngsters culminating in a free auction on the Saturday.
As is now usual a free limited edition (7500) postcard - the eighth - will be given to visitors. It features an unadopted essay for a postal stationery item by permission of the Postal Heritage Trust.
Also now a regular feature of Stampex are the customised sheetlets of ten 'hello' 1st stamps which, on this occasion, marks the centenary of Rotary International. The sheetlets, which will not be sold by Royal Mail, will cost £9 each, individual stamps £1 each, from the dealers who stock them, or the information stand. Each visitor will receive a free stamp along with the postcard inside the free guide.
Spring Stampex 2005 is at the Business Design Centre, Islington Green, London N1 on Wednesday February 23 to Sunday February 27.

British Journey stamps

Jane Eyre stamps

APTA Awards (continued)

Tony Shields receives his ‘Dealer of the Year’ award from Amber McDougall

Other dealers to retain their 2003 titles were Max Stern (Retail Shop Dealer), Renniks Publications (Wholesaler), Michael Eastick (On-Line/Internet Dealer and Website), Premier Postal Auctions (Postal Auction Dealer), and Richard Juzwin (Retail Price List/Private Treaty List).
A new category - Philatelic Publication - was won by Kevin Morgan for Stamp News.
Presenting the awards was Amber McDougall, manager of Australia Post Philatelic Group, who was accompanied by several AP colleagues.
Several APTA members also received Long Membership Awards for having completed 10, 15, 20, or 25 years' membership.

(A full list of the award winners appears in the February 2005 ‘Philatelic Exporter’.)

Film star vanishes (mint) ... and reappears (used)
A true stamp thriller featuring Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, and Humphrey Bogart.
By Michael Burzan.

IT seems like a publicity stunt for the German stamp market, a plot straight out of a Hollywood movie, as well as creating a yawning gap for all collectors of famous people and stars on stamps.
Deutsche Post AG issued a set of charity stamps in late 2001 depicting portraits of famous international movie stars, a follow-up to the set of German film stars of 2000. The set of five values was already printed by the end of September, when a major copyright problem arose: two of the designs had not got the approval of the legal proprietors of the images.
The son of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer refused the portrait of his mother with the big hat and cigarette holder (from the famous film Breakfast at Tiffany's), and Warner Brothers refused admission to use the photo of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart together from Casablanca.

So Deutsche Post had to cancel these designs and replace them quickly by Greta Garbo and a neutral design showing a reel of film. These stamps were issued on time on October 11 2001, followed by a mini-sheet in booklets on October 26 ...

To have read these stories in full, and those headlined below, you'll have had to have received your own copy of the February 2005 ‘Philatelic Exporter’, which can be the first issue of your annual subscription