Digital Authentication Against Counterfeiting

At the Third Authentication Connections Forum in Prague, Czech Republic, in September this year, delegates discussed the roles of sensory and digital authenticators that could protect products against counterfeiting. There was a general consensus that online digital authenticators can most benefit the development of mobile commerce in Asia, as compared to Europe and the US.

Digital Authenticators

Protecting the packaging and labels of branded pharmaceutical products against counterfeiting and fraudulent imports can be done using either of the two approaches below:

• Include a sensory authenticator that can be read by using one or more of the human senses, with or without using a tool, in a packaging or onto a label. A user is trained to read such an authenticator that might come in a form of a hologram, kinegram, optical variable ink, microprints or ultraviolet ink.

• Use a machine-readable digital authenticator on a packaging or a label. A scanner or a computer device is used to authenticate the product. Authentication can be done remotely and online via data networks. Examples of digital authenticators are encrypted two-dimensional (2D) matrix code, Cryptoglyph invisible marking and encrypted serialization.

Online digital authenticators can instantly consolidate the “genuine/fake” readings performed worldwide, allowing an immediate correlation to the data present in the supply chain. These readings are stored in the manufacturer’s product management system, Online digital authenticators can instantly consolidate the “genuine/fake” readings performed worldwide, allowing an immediate correlation to the data present in the supply chain. These readings are stored in the manufacturer’s product management system, enabling a rapid and easy identification of counterfeited products and fraudulent importers or retailers, allowing manufacturers to react quickly. However, such instant consolidation of “genuine/fake” product information is not available using sensory or off-line digital authenticators.

With mobile commerce with camera mobile phone capabilities, targeted information on drugs can be provided online in the native language of the patient, while taking into consideration his/her medical profile. This would also minimize the use of costly sensory authenticators that may affect the product’s packaging.

According to a GS1 whitepaper entitled Mobile Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges in February this year, there are over three billion mobile phones worldwide with one billion equipped with digital cameras. Over one billion people have access to the Internet through channels such as WiFi services available in public areas.

The growing small office, home office (SOHO) culture is also creating savvy users of webcams, flatbed scanners and other low cost peripherals, thereby providing a large pool of competent users for digital authentication of pharmaceutical products.

The development of mobile commerce will inevitably encourage changes in consumer behavior and create new ways of obtaining product information such as scanning of barcodes or 2D codes. This could potentially enable consumers to perform a digital “genuine/ fake” authentication of products, which may consequently enable manufacturers to keep tabs on the counterfeiting activities in their markets.