Re: [dvd-discuss] Postage Meters and the "Right to Tinker"

[Mark Hore <baerwulf(at)echidna.id.au>]

On Friday 10 January 2003 02:52, Dan Steinberg wrote:
> ummmmm sorry but I would have to strongly disagree with that one.
> by your reasoning...those dollar bills in your wallet are not valuable
> in and of themselves. they too are merely tokens that prove...etc. etc.

You are confusing the issue here. The printing of the stamps / money is a 
separate issue from the passing off of those stamps as "Real" stamps. There 
is no reason why you could not print billions of dollars in "monopoly money" 
from this machine. Only passing this money off as being genuine govt. issue 
notes would be illegal. You could even in theory use the "monopoly" money as 
cash, at least in theory, by using it as a cheque.

> I can think of a few places where you can even pay for things...by
> enclosing postage....some bills and some services...
> So I see very little difference between fake postage stamps and fake
> money.  just slightly different specific laws in most countries.
> It doesnt work in my head....am I all alone on this one?

on a side note, as far as I remember here in Australia, uncancelled postage 
stamps are legal tender (not sure of the upper limit) and can be used for all 
goods and services