New technology can identify fakes
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Luxury brands affected by Asia’s burgeoning multi-billion dollar piracy trade will soon have a new weapon.
NEC has revealed new technology that can distinguish even the most sophisticated counterfeit products.
The technology can read microscopic patterns on anything from luxury handbags to mechanical component.
And it can track the origin of mass-produced items like clothing by examining what it describes as “object fingerprints” – three-dimensional patterns or irregularities found on the surface of items.
Tohihiko Hiroaki, assistant GM at NEC’s Information and Media Processing Laboratories, says a customers officer at an airport terminal could take a photo of a specific part of an item using a smartphone, which can then be matched with a database supplied by the manufacturer.
NEC claims its technology can tell the time and place a product was manufactured.
“You can identify offspring that come from the same parental mould,” said Hiroaki. “If you take a close look, you can tell one child from another.”
Further testing lies ahead before the technology is released commercially next year.
Questions & Answers
Q.What is the primary function of NEC's new technology in combating counterfeit goods?
What is the primary function of NEC's new technology in combating counterfeit goods?
The technology is designed to identify fake products by reading microscopic patterns and examining "object fingerprints," which are three-dimensional patterns or irregularities found on item surfaces. It can distinguish even highly sophisticated counterfeits.
Q.How could this new technology be practically applied by someone like a customs officer?
How could this new technology be practically applied by someone like a customs officer?
A customs officer could use a smartphone to photograph a specific part of an item. This image would then be matched against a manufacturer-supplied database to verify authenticity and track the product's origin.
Q.What specific information can NEC's technology provide about the manufacturing of a product?
What specific information can NEC's technology provide about the manufacturing of a product?
NEC claims its technology is capable of determining both the exact time and the specific place where a product was manufactured. It can identify items originating from the same production mould.
Q.When is this new anti-counterfeit technology expected to be made available for commercial use?
When is this new anti-counterfeit technology expected to be made available for commercial use?
The technology is currently undergoing further testing. It is anticipated to be released commercially sometime next year, after these evaluations are completed by NEC.
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