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Latest News

1,100 articles online

All Advanced Materials Associations Authentication Brand Protection Case Studies Companies Consumer & Industrial Products Countries Covert & Forensic Security Document Protection Editorials Enforcement & Surveillance Events Excise Products Free Government Illicit Trade Interviews News Overt Security Regulations Reports & Studies Standards Strategies Sustainability Tax & Revenue Tax Stamps Technology & Systems Tenders Track and Trace

Francis Tuffy

29 May 2022

2 min read

OECD Launches Report on eCommerce in Illicit Trade

The OECD has published a series of reports into illicit trade, the most recent of which is ‘eCommerce Challenges in Illicit Trade in Fakes’. The report is the first outcome of a special project on illicit trade between the Anti-Illicit Trade Expert Group (AITEG) and the public-private partnership (PPP), established under the OECD Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade (TF-CIT).

Reports & Studies

Alan Hodgson

25 May 2022

6 min read

Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum 2022 Malta – A Review

The Tax Stamp and Traceability Forum™ (TSTF) returned as an in-person event in May 2022 with 194 registrants from 99 organisations and 35 countries. The conference was organised into eight sessions spanning two full days plus a pre-conference workshop day.

Events

Nicola Sudan

2 May 2022

7 min read

White Paper on Cannabis Data Capture Solutions Hardly Mentions Security Features

The Cannabis Work Group of AIM North America, the premier alliance for the automated data capture technologies industry, has released a white paper reviewing the use of automatic identification and data capture solutions (including barcodes, RFID, and NFC) for cannabis traceability.

Excise Products Reports & Studies

Nicola Sudan

2 May 2022

3 min read

Bahrain Launches Tax Stamps on Cigarettes

The National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) in Bahrain has launched its digital tax stamp and traceability system on cigarettes, following the signing of a contract with De La Rue in 2021.

Countries Excise Products

Nicola Sudan

2 May 2022

1 min read

Don’t Miss Cannabis Panel at Tax Stamp Forum

Join us for a cannabis panel discussion on 17 May at the Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum in Malta. Technology providers and government representatives will discuss how countries should be dealing with the high earning potential of cannabis versus more traditional tobacco and alcohol products, and will compare different seed-to-sale authentication and track and trace mechanisms for protecting against illicit trade.

Events

Nicola Sudan

2 May 2022

2 min read

Togo Reports Significantly Higher Excise Collections

Following the implementation of its automated marking system in September 2020, the Togolese revenue authority, l’Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR), has reported a substantial increase in excise collections.

Tax & Revenue

Nicola Sudan

2 May 2022

8 min read

ITSA’s First In-Person Workshop in Three Years Draws Latin American Audience

After several years of little to no travel as a result of COVID-19, it was wonderful to meet up with old and new colleagues again at the High Security Printing™ Latin America conference, held in Mexico City in March.

Associations Events Free Free

Nicola Sudan

2 May 2022

3 min read

Cannabis Tax Stamp Tweaks Proposed in Canada’s 2022 Budget

Canada’s 2022 budget has proposed potential changes to Canada’s federal excise tax system for cannabis, including allowing licensed cannabis producers to transfer excise duty stamps between them.

Countries Excise Products

Dr Nathalie Muller

25 April 2022

4 min read

Completing the Circle

The circular economy presents a $4.5 trillion business opportunity for companies that concentrate on rethinking products and services using principles based on durability, renewability, reuse, repair, replacement, upgrades, refurbishment, and reduced material use.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

25 April 2022

3 min read

Waste Not, Want Not

You may have noticed that, in the last few issues since the launch of the newly-branded Authentication & Brand News™, there has been something of an emphasis on sustainability. For companies in our sector (indeed, companies in any sector), sustainability, particularly in the environmental sense, is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a ‘must have’.

Editorials

Astrid Mitchell

25 April 2022

5 min read

News in Brief

The Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department of the Indian state of Telangana has implemented a pilot project for using RFID tags or QR code-enabled systems to track the inventory of gunny (burlap) sacks used for supplying food grain under the state Public Distribution System.

Authentication

Dr Paul Dunn

25 April 2022

4 min read

Smartphone Technology Calls In Holograms

Holography has helped to bring smartphone digital interaction in the brand protection and authentication space closer as the security technology discovers new outlets and innovative applications.

Technology & Systems

Astrid Mitchell

25 April 2022

3 min read

Crane and Essentra Partner for Next Generation Security Features

Crane Currency and Essentra Packaging have announced a strategic partnership to develop a range of next generation security features for the pharmaceutical and beauty packaging industry.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

25 April 2022

4 min read

More Companies Turn to Blockchain for Sustainable and Authentic Supply Chains

Blockchain – the technology that underpins the digital currency bitcoin and is essentially a digital database of time-stamped records or transactions, which are unchangeable and decentralised – is becoming increasingly popular as a track and trace tool for physical supply chains and to guard against counterfeit goods.

Track and Trace

Alan Hodgson

25 April 2022

3 min read

The Need for New ‘Printed’ Features

We have significant investment going into digital technologies, both from within our community and from the technology sector. However, to continue to add security to our physical documents we need to continue investment in ‘printed’ features to complement these for multilayer security.

Technology & Systems

Astrid Mitchell

25 April 2022

2 min read

Digital Identities for Reusable Packaging

Flexible electronics developer PragmatIC Semiconductor has announced its involvement in leading an Innovate UK, Smart Sustainability Plastic Packaging business project that will make reusable plastic packaging systems a reality at scale.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

25 April 2022

2 min read

Global Forum Gets Ready to Welcome Tax Stamp Community

Conferences are back! And this includes the Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum™, taking place from 16-18 May 2022 in Malta. The Forum opens with a workshop on the pros and cons of using sophisticated digital printers for secure documents, including a review of digital security inks, feature design software, printing hardware and real-life applications.

Free Free

Perry Everett

13 April 2022

6 min read

Smartphone Readable Security Features and Insights from Their Application in Other Markets

The advent of the smartphone has led to a surge in the development of smartphone readable security features.

Authentication Technology & Systems

Nicola Sudan

3 April 2022

2 min read

Heinen Koehl’s Coding Equipment Combines Serialisation and Aggregation in One Unit

For tobacco product manufacturers required to comply with the traceability provisions of the EU TPD, the placing of individual identifying codes on each pack, and then on each carton is a challenging additional step in the production process.

Excise Products Track and Trace

Nicola Sudan

3 April 2022

4 min read

The New Era Postage Stamps Which Perform Like Tax Stamps

According to high-security printer Royal Joh Enschedé (RJE), the humble postage stamp is undergoing a phenomenal digital transformation.

Case Studies Technology & Systems

Latest News

OECD Launches Report on eCommerce in Illicit Trade

Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum 2022 Malta – A Review

White Paper on Cannabis Data Capture Solutions Hardly Mentions Security Features

Bahrain Launches Tax Stamps on Cigarettes

Don’t Miss Cannabis Panel at Tax Stamp Forum

Togo Reports Significantly Higher Excise Collections

ITSA’s First In-Person Workshop in Three Years Draws Latin American Audience

Cannabis Tax Stamp Tweaks Proposed in Canada’s 2022 Budget

Completing the Circle

Waste Not, Want Not

News in Brief

Smartphone Technology Calls In Holograms

Crane and Essentra Partner for Next Generation Security Features

More Companies Turn to Blockchain for Sustainable and Authentic Supply Chains

The Need for New ‘Printed’ Features

Digital Identities for Reusable Packaging

Global Forum Gets Ready to Welcome Tax Stamp Community

Smartphone Readable Security Features and Insights from Their Application in Other Markets

Heinen Koehl’s Coding Equipment Combines Serialisation and Aggregation in One Unit

The New Era Postage Stamps Which Perform Like Tax Stamps

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