Canadian bank says ‘Spocking’ bills not illegal, just inappropriate

It turns out Canadians don’t have to fear legal repercussions for engaging in one of the more adorable spontaneous tributes to Leonard Nimoy to pop up after his passing last week. The Bank of Canada has confirmed that “Spocking” five-dollar bills — sketching hair, eyebrows and ears onto Wilfrid Laurier’s likeness on the bill to make him look like Nimoy’s “Star Trek” character — is totally a legit activity, but just not a very nice one.

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While it’s not against the law, “the Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on bank notes are inappropriate as they are a symbol of our country and a source of national pride,” spokeswoman Josianne Menard tells the Canadian Press. And apparently it was already a popular practice before Nimoy’s death.

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