Canadian Government Puts Vulcan Death Grip on 'Spocking' Money Tribute to Nimoy

Live long and prosper — that's all the Canadian government wants for its $5 bills. But since the death of Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy last week, citizens have started a trend of drawing Spock-like ears and eyebrows on the face of the prime minister pictured on the bill, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, to transform him into the beloved half-human, half-Vulcan character.

Related: Leonard Nimoy's Other Legacy: His Photography and the Controversy It Caused

In fact, it's become such a problem that the Bank of Canada is pleading with people to stop the "spocking."

"It is not illegal to write or make other markings on bank notes," Bank of Canada spokesman Josianne Menard said in a statement Wednesday. "However, there are important reasons why it should not be done. Writing on a bank note may interfere with the security features and reduces its lifespan. Markings on a note may also prevent it from being accepted in a transaction. Furthermore, 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."

But what about intergalactic pride, Canada?

Related: Leonard Nimoy Laid to Rest

The Twitterverse — where spocking quickly became a popular hashtag — showed that the practice had traveled to other parts of the world... if not galaxies.