I hereby promulgate the Anti-Imitation Stamps Law.
Signed:HIROHITO, Seal of the Emperor
This sixteenth day of the twelfth month of the tweenty-second year of Showa (December 16, 1947)
Prime Minister KATAYAMA Tetsu
The Anti-Imitation Stamps Law
Article 1. Any person shall not make, import, sell, circulate or use any object having similar outward forms to the stamps as issued by the Government or to the seals representing the amount equivalent to the amount of stamp duty as referred to under Art.6 proviso to the Stamp Law, or to other materials having similar seal-impressions thereto.
The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply in respect to the cases where those objects as referred to under the same paragraph are made, imported, sold, circulated, or used for specific purposes for which the approval of the Minister of Finance has been previously obtained.
Article 2. A person who has committed the violation of Par.1 of the preceding Article shall be imprisoned for not exceeding one year or fined not exceeding 50,000 yen.
Supplementary Provisions:
The present Law shall come into force as from the date of its promulgation.
The Anti-Imitation Stamps Rules shall be abolished;provided, however that the old Rules shall still prevail for the penalties on violations committed before the enforcement date of the present Law.
The approvals as given by virtue of Art.1 of the old Anti-Imitation Stamps Rules shall be deemed to have been given by virtue of Art.1 of the present Law.