Anti-counterfeiting strategies and product authentication technologies – get the latest trends and developments in the security area here.
Counterfeit goods cause sales losses of around USD 464 billion worldwide - each year! This is the conclusion of a joint study by the European Observatory on Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
However, product piracy not only concerns companies and brand owners - the consequences, in particular, affect many people. The authorities assume that around 671,000 people in the EU alone have recently lost their jobs due to product piracy. In addition, counterfeit products, which are often of inferior quality, frequently pose health risks for consumers - for example, due to the risk of fire, suffocation, or poisoning.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated increase in online trade are also fueling the problem of product piracy, as impressively demonstrated by the German Customs’ figures from the 2021 customs annual statistics. They show that the value of confiscated counterfeits has risen continuously in Germany alone in recent years:
Against this backdrop, reliable protection against counterfeiting and manipulation is becoming increasingly important, as counterfeit products not only pose a risk to the health of consumers and mean a loss of revenue for companies, but they also damage the image of established brands. Have you ever wondered how tamper-proof your product is?
By asking a few questions, you can get an initial idea of whether your own product or brand is reliably protected against tampering.
Even if your product may only be targeted by counterfeiters at second glance, you should consider adding possible security features:
Overt, covert, and forensic security features can be linked to digital components. This means you can protect your products twice and benefit from reliable cryptographic encryption, for example. In addition, as a brand owner you receive additional evaluations of each scan and thus have the opportunity to actively detect counterfeiters.
Counterfeiters are constantly developing their techniques. Determining which is the original and which is the copy is no longer possible at first glance, as the infamous Plagiarius Award impressively demonstrates year after year. It is therefore all the more important to equip your own brand with reliable protection mechanisms from the outset in order to make criminal activities as difficult as possible. There are various security elements to choose from.
When it comes to tamper protection, you have two options: You can add security features to the product itself or to the packaging.
Minimizes the risk of counterfeit products hiding in the packaging and protects against refilling.
Can be done directly in the store, before purchasing and opening the product.
Examples of Overt Security Features:
Examples of Concealed Security Features:
This type of security feature is characterized by the fact that it can only be verified using specific procedures - for example, in a laboratory using appropriate equipment. For this reason, they are only known to limited, authorized target groups - for example, representatives of authorities. Forensic security features represent a particularly high hurdle for counterfeiters.
Examples of Forensic Security Features:
Advantages of Digital Security Features:
Does your product have one or more types of security elements? If there are still security vulnerabilities, can the level of protection be increased even further - and which combination is ideal for your specific circumstances? It’s often not easy to keep track and find a solution that is ideally tailored to your own needs. Get expert advice on product and brand protection. Please feel free to get in touch with our team - we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
