2023 – A Year in Headlines

January

T-shirts, stamps and gold – the new world of authentication; stand- out developments in 2022 and beyond; authenticating everything from fuel to banknotes – an interview with Authentix; international standards for smartphone camera testing.

February

France to be the European pilot market for Digimarc Recycle; Luminescence Sun Chemical Security acquires InData Systems; Distinkt – a new name in nanotech authentication; leading edge technologies for smartphone cameras; StockX opens first authentication centre in Mexico; VerifyMe acquires assets of digital identity brand protection company; customers deserve authenticity says Crane Authentication; could EU green product passports double as anti-counterfeiting devices?

March

Crane’s micro-optics hit a home run for college athletes; a world first – 3D structurally coloured objects; SCRIBOS and HP Indigo launch anti-copy direct-print codes; Securikett launches fully transparent security label; TOPPAN showcases brand authentication packaging products; UAE launches national drug tracking system ‘Tatmeen’; different temperatures revealing different images; rigid packaging company Crown awarded for protecting brand and planet; developments to protect gold bars and commemorative coins from counterfeiting.

April

Authentix buys Royal Joh Enschedé; OpSec buys Zacco and goes public; Optical & Digital Document Security conference 2023 – an in-depth review; one barcode for everyone and everything… including authentication? Amazon reports 40% growth in brands adopting Transparency code; a world first for measuring traceability initiatives in luxury goods.

May

MIT fights fake seeds with silk; Eluceda develops solution to identify counterfeit human growth hormones; EU launches mineral traceability project – MaDiTraCe; Co-op to employ phygital recycling solutions for water bottle traceability; overview of pharma traceability and authentication in India; IN Groupe acquires Portals’ security components business; twisted light shows potential for optical anti-counterfeiting, RAPID® Vision and Pulsar™ security threads launched for banknotes.

June

Partnership leads to new class of security feature; USPTO seeks stakeholder input on preventing counterfeiting; anti-counterfeiting – the Canon way; Digimarc signs multi-year $30 million-plus contract; Decentryk LaserMinter to mint codes; Arianee and Edgyn partner for integrated authentication solutions; eBay continues authentication acquisitions with acquisition of Certilogo; Meta’s latest plasmonic banknote features; Leibinger’s new intelligent marking system; structural colours tell their own stories; G+D strengthens position in IoT – acquires MECOMO and launches smart label; Fedrigoni announces brand protection portfolio.

July

Chemists develop a new chiral structure creation method; Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces develops new anti- counterfeiting fluorescent marker; Casa da Moeda Brazil to mint gold traceability platform; Haelixa brand partnership for DNA authentication; food fraud in the UK; De La Rue Authentication on track to exceed £100 million in revenue; global developments around palm vein authentication; HP Indigo’s double-exclusive LEP secure inks; WCO reports current state of illicit tobacco and alcohol seizures.

August

Nike joins surge in NFC tags on sneakers; De La Rue extends brand protection contract with Mason Pearson; EU Intellectual Property Office unveils EBSI-ELSA for global supply chain product authentication; diamond physical unclonable function label from University of Hong Kong; new developments for protecting gold bars and coins; how Cisco plugs counterfeit networks; IPR counterfeiting is on the rise says WCO; Nanobrick carving a market with its Active Nano Platform; authenticity problems in global watch market.

September

Apple iPhone 15 uses UV-activated QR code to deter counterfeits; Koenig & Bauer steps into digital authentication; iconic Italian cheese brand Parmigiano Reggiano embeds edible microchips in cheese wheels; Meta announces production qualification and launch of QUANTUM™ stripe; opportunities in smart packaging; Indian pharma moves ahead with QR code regulation; fashion and sportswear industries advocate for digital labelling; dragon fruit traceability introduced in Vietnam.

October

Bosch launches Origify fingerprinting technology for products; International Trademark Association reveals only 40% of brands use authentication features; more food brands and industries stepping up traceability and authentication drive; Token begins production of smart ring for authentication; Trace4Value consortium to address EU’s textile digital passport; the rise of generative AI; TOPPAN showcases smart NFC packaging solutions.

November

Royal Joh Enschedé unveils crypto stamps for Germany; OpSec Group acquires premium trim company; sustainable colour for a sustainable authentication industry; De La Rue partners with C3i Europe; extra security layer for diamond passports; Entrupy becomes official AI authenticator on TikTok Shop; Canadian Mint partners with aXedras; ‘local footprint’ is key to tackling counterfeits in Africa; US drug tracking – delays and developments; NFC in the circular economy; the billion dollar counterfeit seizure – Bangladesh to blame? Decathlon’s RFID revolution; France is first country to launch Digimarc Recycle; robots that see like insects.

December

Interview with a brand owner – Mason Pearson; Merck collaborates with p-Chip for phygital solution; a new career – smuggling of AI chips; Techno Secure to continue protecting Malaysia pharma label; SmartID works offline to detect counterfeits; Pakistan to print watermarked ballot papers; Anglo American launches Valutrax digital traceability; UPP rebrands as E7 Group; latest developments on the EU ‘green’ product passport front; from state printer to digital powerhouse – the story of Peruri; Ferrari rewards public for reporting fakes; awards reflect ongoing integration of traditional holograms with other techniques.