IHMA Launches Security Image Register for the Authentication Industry

Recently, the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) made a big announcement as it extended and relaunched its Hologram Image Register (HIR) as the Security Image Register (SIR). This article briefly overviews HIR, the new SIR and its impact on the authentication industry.

What is HIR?

The HIR is a secure registry (database) of holographic images established by the IHMA to safeguard hologram copyright and underpin the use of holograms in authentication and security printing. As the ‘jewel’ in the IHMA ‘crown’, HIR has been one of the essential services for IHMA members for the last three decades.

The HIR currently contains some 10,000 hologram registrations, which is growing daily. The centrally held global database is operated under the strictest confidence and security by the Counterfeit Intelligence Bureau (CIB).

What is SIR, and how is it different from HIR?

The SIR is an expanded and rebranded, 2.0 version of HIR and reflects the changing realities of the global security printing industry. As holograms are increasingly incorporated with other optically variable devices (OVDs) to provide integrated, added value and advanced anti-counterfeiting solutions, the new SIR will include all optical security technologies within the general term OVD. It bridges the gap between authentication technologies/providers and the IHMA and has become far more applicable and relevant to the broader industry.

The ability to register all types of OVDs with the SIR will be available to hologram producers, manufacturers of other OVDs, security printers, designers of secure documents and banknotes, packaging and packaging converters, authentication specifiers and influencers, as well as central governments and institutions such as central banks, revenue authorities and passport issuers.

The register will enable these users to check that their security OVD design, or elements of the design, do not infringe copyright or allow the unintentional copy of existing security OVDs. The image registration is completed once the design has received clearance.

The SIR will also be accessible to law enforcement agencies, allowing them to check for the provenance of a design when they need information on a suspect OVD. The expanded register is designed to improve user efficiency and effectiveness by enabling faster online registration and copyright checking of optically active designs, and will come into effect from January 2024.

Importance for authentication industry

The SIR will continue to play its role in the global security printing and authentication industry. Currently, registration of a hologram design with the HIR is a pre-condition of many tenders and procurements, particularly by government bodies such as central banks, revenue authorities and passport issuers. It supports ISO 14298 (the security standard for managing security print and security foil production). As part of this standard, all hologram producers must register all security holograms they produce in a global registry.

The copyright and IP section of the SIR secure portal offers distinct advantages to IHMA members and non-members alike. It is a fully online process where artwork is submitted electronically to provide quicker design checks.

The optical device producer or supplier submitting a design search should have the authorisation of their customers to use copyrighted artwork provided for use in the final design. This is evidenced in the portal by warranties and indemnities to that effect, significantly speeding up the whole verification process and ensuring copyright/IP is clearly identified and protected for all parties.

IHMA plans to create awareness

The SIR will be complimentary for all IHMA members, but non-members can also register their security images at a reasonable cost. IHMA has a plan for seamless implementation over the coming weeks and has already begun raising awareness and encouraging users to take this up.

In the last few months, the IHMA board members and secretariat have presented at various international forums, including Intergraf, The Holography Conference™, and the recently held High Security Printing™ Asia conference. IHMA will continue its awareness drive in 2024, as the more the industry uses the SIR and adds to the database, the greater the value to us all.

For more information, visit www.ihma.org.