When one speaks of counterfeiting it’s usually money or art that comes to mind. But counterfeiting is also a growing problem in the world of new product design. Some estimates have put the cost to industry more than $600 billion. Jeff Robertson is the director and general manager of ARmark Authentication Technologies, a division of Adhesives Research, and a he has been involved in fighting product counterfeiting for several years. He says product counterfeiting is a growing problem and new technologies can help battle the problem.

Counterfeit products are typically products that look authentic, but fall short of meeting standard requirements for usage. Robertson’s company is actively involved in one of the technologies commonly used to battle counterfeiting — microscopic engineered marker technology. Commonly referred to as “microtags,” these material-based markers are designed to assist in the visualization of information. They are visual elements that support multi-variate information such as arrangement of dots in a matrix of the relative position of symbol shapes to one another. Such information serves as an encryption within a microtag particle.

In the following interview, Robertson explains just how much counterfeiting affects multiple industries and how microtags can help fight the problem.

Len Vermillion: How big is the counterfeiting problem in regards to new product designs? Jeff Robertson: Typically, counterfeiting becomes an issue to any major brand owner as soon as a product is released to market. If the product is expected to generate sizable revenue, odds are it will be counterfeited in a very short amount of time.

LV: What types of products are most susceptible to counterfeiting?JR: In reality, almost anything. The motivation for any counterfeiter is to make money. Any product that can be copied and produce a large return is a target. Pharmaceuticals, software, electronics, luxury items, and sporting goods are a few major market areas.

LV: How do counterfeited products adversely affect the manufacturing industry?JR: Counterfeit products can have a serious impact on sales revenue, profitability, brand image damage, and possibly consumer litigation. These all would have an adverse affect on a company’s bottom line.

LV: Has the government been involved in addressing the problem?JR: Yes. Without question, there are many government entities that are active in trying to reduce the impact of this global problem.

LV: What is a “covert marker microtag”? JR: A covert marker is a microscopic particle that is unable to be seen by the naked eye without visual aid. This marker can contain several levels of coded information.

Microtags are microscopic devices placed on products to combat counterfeiting. When looked at with a special detection device, the form, shape, and feature position of the microtag verify if the product is real or fake.

LV: How do they work against counterfeiting? JR: The covert markers can be applied to a product through various methods and allow the brand owner to identify whether the product is authentic or counterfeit. The counterfeit products are extremely close in appearance to the originals; sometimes, these ARmark covert markers may be the only way to tell the real from the fake.

LV: You’ve said that one of the key elements to covert markers is their small size. How important is size?JR: Well, if the covert markers were larger in size, it would potentially allow them to be seen without the special detection device, thus not making them a covert solution to anti-counterfeiting

LV: What kinds of materials are used in microtags?JR: The markers can be made from a wide variety of materials. Anything from metals to food like materials.

LV: There are three types of design strategies when guarding against counterfeiting: overt, covert, and forensic. What are the different advantages between the three?JR: Overt technologies provide a visual authentication to the brand owner and often to the consumer as well. An example would be a hologram, which is seen on most credit cards. Overt technologies are the first line of defense and are usually applied to the packaging of a product. Covert technologies are not able to be seen without visual aid of some sort device. They are harder to find and much more difficult to replicate for the counterfeiters. Most covert technologies can be read in the field without destruction of the target article. Forensic technologies are those which require some type of forensic test to authenticate. These tests are usually done in a laboratory; however, technology is changing all the time. These tests can be destructive to the target article. For the brand owner, the layered approach is the best. Meaning, the brand owner will employ at least two of the aforementioned approaches to provide authentication of products. This layered approach can make it very difficult for the counterfeiter to keep up with all the technologies being utilized.

More information on ARmark Authentication Technologies is available at www.arglobal.com or by calling 800-445-6240.