NetNames comments on new anti-counterfeit technologies
NetNames comments on the report that a new high-tech label has been created that could help tackle the global counterfeit goods industry.
The ‘liquid crystal’ material, which has been in development for 10 years at Cambridge University, can be printed onto any product from pill bottles to bank notes with several levels of authentication that are impossible to fake. By tilting the object, the unique ID will show a coloured iridescent, and can be probed with a reader to reveal a signature.
Haydn Simpson, Commercial Director, Western Europe at NetNames, the online brand protection specialist, comments on the latest high-tech development to expose counterfeits:
“With the rise of counterfeits posing serious threats to retailers, global economies and consumers alike, it is encouraging that new initiatives are being developed to counter increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.
“Previous iterations of physical anti-counterfeiting technologies have fared well in certain industries, but there is much work to be done to encourage uptake and implementation of anti-counterfeit procedures across more consumer focused brands. Successfully deploying such technology requires large-scale take up by these brands, along with retailers, consumers and law enforcement officials needing to be educated to spot the authentication marks and to be equipped with some way of reading the technology.
“Modern consumers are unlikely to adopt a technology which poses an impractical imposition in the shopping experience. In addition, there will always be a counterfeit market driven by price as some consumers can’t resist a so-called bargain. However, the good news is that both brands and consumers are becoming more aware of the threats surrounding counterfeits, and are proactively seeking ways to minimise and identify the fakes.
“Any new anti-counterfeit technologies, such as the latest high-tech developments, must be easy to deploy, easy to understand and very straightforward at the point where the end user is trying to authenticate the product. If these technologies are complex and impractical for brands, consumers and enforcement officials to use, there will always be an uphill challenge in terms of popularity and uptake, and ultimately effectiveness.”
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