Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California

Re: Photocopying Foreign Money in the USA

Although it was a reasonable guess that this would be an intellectual property question, in that it involves the right to reproduce something, it isn't. Your question is really about whether a certain activity is criminal or not, i.e., how to avoid someone's laws against conterfeiting or forgery. I think your best chance to get a reply from a well-qualified LawGuru attorney would be to re-ask it under a criminal law topic heading, but here's a shot at an answer.

There are Federal laws making reproduction of U.S. currency illegal, i.e. the general laws against counterfeiting and forgery. A typical such law is 18 U.S.C. 474, and I am sure there are others. I do not know of any U.S. laws expressly forbidding the counterfeiting, forgery or copying of foreign currency, but such laws doubtless exist.

In addition, another Federal statute, 18 U.S.C. 504, creates the exception you referred to; it provides that reproductions may be made of certain items, including foreign notes, if the reproductions are at least 1-1/2 times or less than 3/4 times the normal height and width. They must be in black-and-white. Also, electronic means of reproduction may only be used under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, who may also allow color reproductions of certain items under additional conditions.

Exactly what constitutes "electronic means" I cannot say, nor do I have any idea what the Treasury regulations say, but you may be able to find them on line.