Can I do this??

[SummitSignsandmore]

I have a customer that wants a pair 100 bills printed to put under the clearcoat of his car. (front and rear bumpers)


Is there a fine line that I may be pushing scanning and printing a pair of $100 bill for on a customers car?

 

[John Butto]

It is not illegal to scan money. It's fair use to make a t-shirt using an image of money, it's not illegal at all. What's illegal is scanning money and then printing that money out in a way that makes it look like legal currency...that's counterfeiting.

"Under federal statute 18 USC section 471, if you're found guilty
of making copies "in the likeness and similitude of US currency ...
unless they are much larger or much smaller than US currency" (a
minimum of 50 percent larger or 25 percent smaller) or unless they are
"rendered in black and white,"

 

[Gino]

Duplicating any money is against the law.

Regardless of where it's going or how it's to be used has no bearing on it. That's a very Black & White rule.

If you make it 300% or larger, you might get away with it.

We've printed artwork that had money in it for banks, but beyond that..... no.

 

[SignaramaFL]

I would say yes, but I don't know the legistics of it. I know I have seen advertising like that around my area, but it was with big 100$ bills. So that there was no mistaking it for a real one.

 

[EricRamse]

It is not illegal to scan money. It's fair use to make a t-shirt using an image of money, it's not illegal at all. What's illegal is scanning money and then printing that money out in a way that makes it look like legal currency...that's counterfeiting.

"Under federal statute 18 USC section 471, if you're found guilty
of making copies "in the likeness and similitude of US currency ...
unless they are much larger or much smaller than US currency" (a
minimum of 50 percent larger or 25 percent smaller) or unless they are
"rendered in black and white,"

In addition to this, maybe you can do an upsell by suggesting they change some of the bill text or change the president's picture to the business owner..something to make it unique. Sure, it's tacky, but that's what it seems they want.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

It is not illegal to scan money. It's fair use to make a t-shirt using an image of money, it's not illegal at all. What's illegal is scanning money and then printing that money out in a way that makes it look like legal currency...that's counterfeiting.

"Under federal statute 18 USC section 471, if you're found guilty
of making copies "in the likeness and similitude of US currency ...
unless they are much larger or much smaller than US currency" (a
minimum of 50 percent larger or 25 percent smaller) or unless they are
"rendered in black and white,"

I hear that PS (at least pre-CS5) will NOT allow scanning of currency and error. You'll have to paste it in.

Hey, why not just use REAL bills?

 

[Salmoneye]

Make sure you get paid in advance. People that wear images of money, sing about money, buy furry blankets with images of money.... usually don't have any.

 

[SummitSignsandmore]

Make sure you get paid in advance. People that wear images of money, sing about money, buy furry blankets with images of money.... usually don't have any.

ROFL... I understand that completely.

 

[Sideshow]

Make significant changes. like the part that states "this note is legal" turn it into a joke. "This bill isnt worht the ink its printed on for any debts..." blah blah.. Change secretary of treasurer to a silly name, make the serial number 8675309JN make it seem real without being REAL as well so there IS no question or doubt

 

[Mosh]

Make sure you get paid in advance. People that wear images of money, sing about money, buy furry blankets with images of money.... usually don't have any

+++++++

 

[Pat Whatley]

http://www.secretservice.gov/money_illustrations.shtml

Specifically....
U.S. Currency
The Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992, Public Law 102-550, in Section 411 of Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations, permits color illustrations of U.S. currency provided:

* The illustration is of a size less than three-fourths or more than one and one-half, in linear dimension, of each part of the item illustrated

* The illustration is one-sided

* All negatives, plates, positives, digitized storage medium, graphic files, magnetic medium, optical storage devices, and any other thing used in the making of the illustration that contain an image of the illustration or any part thereof are destroyed and/or deleted or erased after their final use


That said there is a car running around town that has them on it. The guy photocopied them actual size, cut them out, sprayed a little clear on the car and used it as the adhesive to hold them on. Sprayed translucent green over it and buried it in clear coats. They look extremely real and it's a pretty cool effect but I'm not sure how long it's going to hold up.

 

[Gino]

How's this ?? What's the very first item ??

 

[J Hill Designs]

if you hit the enlarge button you could do that gino

 

[MikePro]

i say whatever is clever... people make ties/boxers/'kerchiefs with dollar bill graphics and they're relatively to scale. you're not duplicating money, you're just printing artwork that happens to be public domain.

 

[Sideshow]

wait, this is going on a wrap? Then your fine!!

You can print full size bills on T-Shirts. banners, etc. if its not printed on paper and able to be mistaken as real deal, THEN you need to worry about the size and color

and no I didnt do like everyone else and internet search. I made a phone call.

Sometimes google is vague, and only explains the direct answer...ie people copying money to be used as a novelty or prop

 

[MikePro]

group of kids up here in Kenosha, WI just got busted for reproducing bills...
they discovered that if you mix a certain quantity of Green Kool-aid powder into a copier's ink toner... that the $5 bills they scanned were accepted by vending machines.

they went on a spree, ripping off change machines around town for quarters and eventually got caught just a couple months ago.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

wait, this is going on a wrap? Then your fine!!

You can print full size bills on T-Shirts. banners, etc. if its not printed on paper and able to be mistaken as real deal, THEN you need to worry about the size and color

I didn't get the impression it's going on a wrap, but I could be wrong.

 

[SummitSignsandmore]

http://www.secretservice.gov/money_illustrations.shtml

Specifically....
U.S. Currency
The Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992, Public Law 102-550, in Section 411 of Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations, permits color illustrations of U.S. currency provided:

* The illustration is of a size less than three-fourths or more than one and one-half, in linear dimension, of each part of the item illustrated

* The illustration is one-sided

* All negatives, plates, positives, digitized storage medium, graphic files, magnetic medium, optical storage devices, and any other thing used in the making of the illustration that contain an image of the illustration or any part thereof are destroyed and/or deleted or erased after their final use


That said there is a car running around town that has them on it. The guy photocopied them actual size, cut them out, sprayed a little clear on the car and used it as the adhesive to hold them on. Sprayed translucent green over it and buried it in clear coats. They look extremely real and it's a pretty cool effect but I'm not sure how long it's going to hold up.

Thanks Pat. That sums it up for me.. Looks like everything should be A'OK.

 

[Sideshow]

called a second field office in PA, got same answer. The law was written with regards to people printing on paper to be cut, or whatnot. With applying to grpahis on shirts, plastic, imprinted on coffee mugs, it cant be mistaken for money or used, therefore its not in violation

 

[Sideshow]

I didn't get the impression it's going on a wrap, but I could be wrong.

printed and clear coated over bumper...partial wrap sorrty.