Sep 10 2007
JDSU today announced the release of a new weapon in the fight against counterfeiters with the introduction of its latest sophisticated security solution for document authentication and brand protection. The market leader in overt printed security features, JDSU has applied its optical technology expertise to develop Charms™, a groundbreaking covert security product.
JDSU’s Charms are printable microstructured taggants - miniscule particles two to three times the size of a red blood cell - that can be customized with a customer’s logo or graphics and then added to printing ink for documents, labels or packaging. It is the first covert product of this nature that is useable in standard printing ink, and the first solution able to offer very high-resolution graphics on micro-flakes in this particle size range. The easily verified presence of marked micro-flakes on genuine non-counterfeit material provides an additional and unique factor for authentication.
Because they are invisible to the naked eye, Charms can easily be added to documents, packaging or product without affecting any of the visual aspects of the graphic design.
Charms are already on track for adoption by several large brand owners in 2007. In addition, JDSU’s Charms solution has already been proven in a yearlong, extremely successful pre-release deployment on more than 100 million electronic products. JDSU security pigments are currently used on more than 90 different currencies, as well as on many pharmaceutical and other products.
With Charms, non-experts now have a quick and reliable way to distinguish counterfeit from genuine product - one of the essential components in the battle against counterfeiters.
“Complexity is an enemy of security, and truly effective authentication, implemented on a large scale, requires a straightforward verification procedure. With authentication using Charms, all that is required in the field are your eyes and a low-cost, portable microscope. Strong authentication for printed materials will never get easier than that,” said Kees-Jan Delst, product line manager for JDSU’s Flex Products Group. “With our many years of experience in creating trusted document and brand protection products, JDSU is well positioned to satisfy the market’s need for authentication products.”
Product authentication with Charms is a simple visual confirmation of graphics, size, shape, color and texture that requires only minimal training. Charms also include specific attributes that allow forensic use when required.
Key Benefits of JDSU Charms:
- Security feature can be applied with a standard printing press.
- Authentication in the blink of an eye: a single low-cost, portable microscope works for authentication across different documents, products and/or brands, which is crucial for investigators, customs and law enforcement.
- Protection does not rely on restricted access to the authentication tool.
- Configuration of specific marks at various levels, distinction by brand, product, region, manufacturer or converter.
- Usable in combination with an overt solution, mixed in JDSU’s color-shifting ink, or as a stand-alone covert solution.
- Can be added “just in case,” and verified only when and where required. Protection does not require a minimum for sampling volume, as is the case with serialization.
- Low per-unit cost enables effective protection of extremely high volume, fast-moving consumer goods.