WO2011027080A1

WO2011027080A1 - Method and device for protecting a product against counterfeiting

Info

Publication number: WO2011027080A1
Application number: PCT/FR2010/051832
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zbigniew Sagan; Alain Foucou; Jean Pierre Massicot; Justin Picard
Original assignee: Advanced Track And Trace
Priority date: 2009-09-03
Filing date: 2010-09-03
Publication date: 2011-03-10
Also published as: FR2949588B1; FR2949588A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for protecting a product housed in a container (105) that is opened by moving two parts thereof relative to one another, comprising: a step consisting in generating an image; and a step consisting in forming a mark which represents the image and straddles said two parts of the container, whereby the mark is provided with sporadic errors at a rate greater than a pre-determined value owing to the unforeseeable sporadic physical phenomena that occur during said mark-forming step.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROTECTING A PRODUCT AGAINST

INFRINGEMENT

The present invention relates to a method and a device for protecting a product against counterfeiting. It applies, in particular, to the protection of a product contained in a container, for example a package, an envelope, a pocket, a bottle, a bottle, a box or a box.

For practical, technical and financial reasons, the protection of a product against counterfeiting is generally limited to the insertion of authentication elements on its outer packaging. However, in many cases, counterfeiters do not attempt to copy the packaging of a product, but they manage to obtain an original packaging by a backdoor, which they use to insert a copy of the product, which is much harder to identify. For example, there have been cases of genuine wine bottles reused by inserting a wine of lower quality than the original, and similar cases for perfumes. Many counterfeit drugs are also made by reusing the outer package, or vial.

One of the most used means of protection against tampering is to stick a seal at the opening (for example a secure label) that must be torn at the time of opening the package. The seals are designed to be, in principle, very difficult to take off without causing their destruction. Another approach is to cause irreversible changes in the packaging when it is opened.

Unfortunately, the technical means to make the seals impossible to reuse-without damage-from one package to another can be expensive, and are in any case of limited security. Security is limited because there are, most of the time, technical means to take off and reuse a seal without damaging it. Moreover, and this is a fundamental problem, it is generally very easy to obtain a genuine seal from another supplier than the one authorized to produce it, or even from the latter. Thus, the seal is no longer a pledge of the inviolability of the product, since the product may very well have been tampered with and / or the original seal replaced by another seal.

The present invention aims to remedy these disadvantages.

For this purpose, according to a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of protecting a product contained in a container, the opening of which involves moving two parts of said container in relative motion, characterized in that it comprises:

a step of generating an image,

a step of forming a mark representative of said image straddling said two parts of the container, causing, in said mark, the fact of punctual unpredictable physical phenomena occurring during the step of forming said mark, a point error rate greater than a predetermined value.

Thus, when opening the container said mark is deteriorated. However, because of its original punctually unpredictable error rate, an attempt to reproduce the mark with brand formation means identical to those used originally involves the addition of a quantity of punctually unpredictable errors, which increases considerably. the original error rate and makes the copy detectable.

Moreover, by exploiting digital means, the present invention makes it possible to use mathematical methods to guarantee security, and to rely on verifications of authenticity by machine for reading specific error rates on the marks, machines which are less susceptible to error and do not require specific knowledge of the operator.

Due to its characteristics, any opening of the container followed by an attempt to close to restore said mark imposes the addition of errors on the opening line and / or the offset, one relative to the other, portions of the mark lying on either side of this opening line.

It is recalled here that an anti-copy mark is a mark whose reproduction with printing means identical to those used for its original printing necessarily causes the generation of errors whose rate is measurable and becomes greater than a limit value. Equivalently, an anti-copy mark is defined as a mark which, from its original printing, because of punctual unpredictable physical phenomena, has an error rate greater than a predetermined value, for example of 5, 10, 15 or 20 percent.

According to particular features, the step of forming a mark comprises a step of printing said image straddling said two parts of the container.

Thanks to these provisions, it is the same material of the container that is marked by printing. It should be noted here that the term "printing" covers not only the deposit of an ink, visible or invisible, but also the change of surface condition, for example by heating or striking with micro-punches.

According to particular features, the step of forming a mark comprises a step of affixing said image on a seal and a step of positioning said seal astride said two parts of the container.

With these provisions, seals, for example breakable adhesive labels (pre-weakened by cutting of its surface, can be implemented. According to particular features, during the step of forming said mark, said mark is formed on the surface of the seal in contact with the container.

Thanks to these provisions, reaching said mark requires the said seal to be separated from the container, which implies the risk of further deterioration of the mark.

According to particular features, during the brand formation step, the seal implemented is, at least partially and at least for one wavelength, transparent.

According to particular characteristics, during the forming step, said mark exhibits, due to said punctual unpredictable physical phenomena, an error rate lower than a second predetermined value.

Thus, the ability to detect the copy is optimized.

According to particular characteristics, during the step of generating an image, said image represents a digital authentication code.

It is noted that CNAs (acronym for "digital authentication codes") are digital means for copy protection and for the secure traceability of products. The properties of the CNAs are exploited, either by printing them on the seal or by printing them at the level of the opening areas of the packaging (which we will also refer to as the generic term "seal"). This notably solves the problem of replacing a damaged seal with a copy of a seal. In addition, the CNA is designed and labeled so that access to the product results in irreversible changes that are detectable and measurable. This allows automatic detection of seal damage, even in cases where a counterfeiter or forger would take special care not to damage the seal.

By inserting a DAC on a seal, any attempt to copy a seal can be detected. In addition, the manipulations of the seal necessary to access the contents of the packaging leads to destruction, at least partial and / or local, irremediable CNA, which can also be detected. Thus, for a CNA on a seal at the point of rupture of the flange of a wine bottle, or the opening of a drug box, it is possible to detect deterioration of the CNA even if a seal is cleverly recovered. and re-assembled to give the illusion that it is an original seal.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for detecting the opening of a container, the opening of which involves moving relative two parts of said container, which comprises:

a step of capturing an image of a mark straddling said two parts of the container,

a step of determining at least one point error rate in said mark and a step of determining whether said point error rate is greater than a second predetermined value greater than a first predetermined value corresponding to errors due to punctual unpredictable physical phenomena occurring during the step of forming said mark.

According to particular characteristics, during the step of determining a point error rate, a relative displacement of different zones of the mark is determined.

According to particular characteristics, during the step of determining a point error rate, points representative of different zones in the captured image and the relative position of said points are determined.

According to particular characteristics, in order to determine representative points of different zones, the captured image shows the best correlation with an area of the original digital mark.

Thanks to each of these provisions, it is possible to detect a manipulation of the mark which has caused a relative displacement of two zones of the mark, in particular on both sides of a break line.

According to particular characteristics, during the step of determining an error rate, the error rate is determined in an area lying opposite the boundaries of said two parts.

According to particular characteristics, during the step of determining an error rate, an error rate is determined for different zones of the mark and, during the determining step, if at least one rate of error is determined. is greater than said second predetermined value.

According to a third aspect, the present invention is directed to a device for protecting a product contained in a container, the opening of which involves moving two parts of said container in relative motion, characterized in that it comprises:

a means for generating an image,

a means of forming a mark representative of said image straddling said two parts of the container, adapted to cause, in said mark, due to punctual unpredictable physical phenomena occurring during the step of forming said mark, a one-time error rate greater than a predetermined value.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention is directed to a device for detecting the opening of a container, the opening of which involves moving two parts of said container in relative motion, characterized in that it comprises:

a means for capturing an image of a mark straddling said two parts of the container, a means for determining at least one point error rate in said mark and

- A means for determining whether said point error rate is greater than a second predetermined value greater than a first predetermined value corresponding to errors due to punctual unpredictable physical phenomena occurring during the step of forming said mark.

According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a container of a product, characterized in that it comprises a mark representative of an image positioned straddling two parts of the container which are necessarily disconnected at the opening of the container and having, due to punctual unpredictable physical phenomena, a point error rate greater than a predetermined value.

The advantages, aims and particular characteristics of this detection method, these devices and this container being similar to those of the protection method object of the present invention, they are not recalled here.

Other advantages, aims and features of the present invention will emerge from the description which follows, made for an explanatory and non-limiting purpose with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents, schematically, a first particular embodiment of the container that is the subject of the present invention,

FIG. 2 represents, schematically, a second particular embodiment of the container which is the subject of the present invention,

FIG. 3 represents, schematically, a third particular embodiment of the container that is the subject of the present invention,

FIG. 4 represents, schematically, a fourth particular embodiment of the container that is the subject of the present invention,

FIG. 5 represents, schematically, a fifth particular embodiment of the container that is the subject of the present invention,

FIGS. 6A and 6B show, schematically, the effects of a tearing or cutting of a label followed by a restoration,

FIGS. 7A and 7B show, schematically, other effects of a tearing or cutting of a label followed by a restoration,

FIGS. 8A and 8B show, schematically, the effects of a copy of an anti-copy mark,

FIG. 9 represents, in the form of a logic diagram, steps implemented in a particular embodiment of the method that is the subject of the present invention,

FIG. 10 represents, in the form of a logic diagram, steps implemented in a particular embodiment of the method that is the subject of the present invention, and - Figure 1 1 shows, schematically, a particular embodiment of a device object of the present invention, applied to the protection of bottles.

In FIGS. 1 to 5, the protected packaging takes, for purely illustrative purposes, the shape of an envelope. However, as explained above, the present invention applies to any container of a product.

It is observed that Figures 1 to 8B are not to scale. In particular, the cells of a CNA are generally of very small dimensions, of the order of a few microns, with respect to the dimensions of the containers.

Figure 1 shows the package 105 of a product (not shown) with an opening area 1 10 shown as hatched lines, and a seal 1 adhered to the package, so that this package is damaged by irreversibly at any opening, said opening involving moving relative two parts of the package. For example, the hatches representing the opening zone 1 10 correspond to a pre-cutting of the packaging carton which opens the package. The carton is damaged, in principle, irreversible during opening.

In Figure 2, the seal is not shown because the protection mark 120 is integrated in the package 105 of the product.

In both cases, the seal or the packaging can be copied or obtained by another manufacturer or even by the same. In addition, there are known techniques counterfeiters to take off seals without damaging them, or hide damage or failure areas. The book "Security Engineering: A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed Systems by Ross Anderson, 2nd Edition" states, in section 14.4.2 ("The problem of glue"), page 444, that in most cases it is relatively easy to open the product without damaging the seal.

According to the present invention, at least one anti-copy mark is inserted in the label or on the package, straddling the two zones separated by the opening line.

For example, we insert a numerical authentication code ("CNA"), visible or invisible, on a seal, or at the opening of the package. Methods make it possible to exploit these DACs to automatically detect damage to the seal indicating access to the product.

It is recalled here that the digital authentication codes are digital images which, once marked on a medium, for example by printing or local modification of the medium, have properties, usually automatically measurable from a captured image, which are modified when copying. Authentic numeric codes are usually based on the degradation of a or a plurality of copy-sensitive signals, such signal being carried by image elements having measurable, copy-sensitive characteristics. Certain types of digital authentication codes may also contain information to identify or trace the document that contains it. CNAs are extremely advantageous for copy detection. Indeed, they are extremely inexpensive to produce, very easy to integrate, and can be read by machine with most image capture means, while being able to offer a high security against copying.

In general, DACs are generated and read using at least one cryptographic key. The copy detection is performed from a measurement reflecting the general level of degradation of the DAC elements, for example a degree of correlation between the original image of the DAC and the image read, an error rate in the case of a reading of a message ... We will note "score" this measurement. In the remainder of the description, it is assumed that the score is maximum for a non-degraded image and decreases when the degradation increases. The original NAC will therefore have a score greater than its copy.

In Figure 3, a DAC 125 is printed on the seal. The CNA is visible in Figure 3, but can also be invisible, which has the effect of complicating the counterfeiter's task. By accessing the product, the seal is broken and the CNA damaged. If the counterfeiter seeks to mask the break so that it is not noticed by the consumer, there is a zone, even imperceptible to the naked eye, where the CNA is damaged locally, as shown with reference to FIGS. 7B. Methods for detecting such local deteriorations of the CNA will be discussed later.

In Figure 4, a DAC 130 is printed on the adhesive side of a seal, so that the print is damaged during take-off. Likewise, the NAC can be visible or invisible. If the seal is broken and the failure is masked, as well as for the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the rupture zone can be detected by local damage to the CNA and by relative displacements of the CNA areas located on either side. else of the breaking line. In addition, if the seal is taken off without being broken and then re-glued, reading the CNA can detect it: either the take-off completely destroyed the CNA and it can not be read, or the CNA was partly destroyed, by For example, a portion of the ink has been removed, and local deteriorations or general decay of the DAC signal can be identified. It is noted that it is advantageous to print the DAC on the adhesive zone of a seal which is transparent: this makes it possible to capture, through the seal, an inverted image of the DAC, an image that can be analyzed. It is not then necessary to take off the seal to check its condition. In FIG. 5, a DAC 135 is printed on a package, and then, in a second step, cut marks are applied. If the package is opened at the cutting zones, then closed and the break hidden, again, the break can be detected due to local damage to the CNA and relative displacements of the CNA areas on different parts. during the break.

Figure 6A shows a DAC 205 on a package or seal, prior to opening. The NAC is represented as small full black circles. Figure 6B shows the same DAC after "manipulation" of the package or seal, having an opening followed by an attempt to mask the opening or rebuild the original seal. In the DAC 210 resulting from this manipulation, empty circles (blanks) indicate elements of the DAC located on the cutting area that have been damaged by the opening. With reference to FIG. 9, steps are described for detecting such damages.

Figure 7A shows a DAC 215 on a package or seal, prior to opening. The NAC is represented as small full black circles. Figure 7B shows the same DAC after "handling" of the package or seal, having an opening followed by an attempt to mask the opening or rebuild the original seal. Here, there is no NAC element on the rupture zone, which would have been damaged during the opening. On the other hand, it is very difficult if not impossible for the counterfeiter to close the package so as to avoid a relative displacement of the two parts on a scale that is not significant for the human eye but very significant for reading the CNA (for example, a relative displacement of 100 microns). Such a displacement is illustrated in FIG. 7B, in which the elements of the lower zone 225 of the CNA are shifted to the right with respect to the elements of the upper zone 220. With reference to FIG. a method for detecting such relative displacements indicating product handling.

Figure 8A shows a DAC 230 on the inside (adhesive) side of a seal. Figure 8B shows the same DAC after seal detachment. It can be seen that in the CNA 235 resulting from this manipulation, some NAC elements, indicated by empty (white) circles, were destroyed by the detachment of the seal. With regard to FIG. 9, steps are described to detect such destructions of the CNA.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, to constitute a product container that is the subject of the present invention, a container is taken whose opening involves moving two parts of said container in relative motion.

A step 305 of generating an image is performed, preferably with a computer. This digital image represents, preferentially, a CNA.

Then, it carries out a step 310 of forming a mark representative of said image straddling said two parts of the container, causing, in said mark, due to punctual unpredictable physical phenomena occurring during the the step of forming said mark, a point error rate greater than a predetermined value. For this purpose, knowing the container, it is possible to vary values of marking parameters, for example a resolution and / or a dimension of the mark of the image, the rate of unpredictable point errors is determined and values of parameters ensuring a point error rate greater than the predetermined value, preferably greater than 5%, even more preferably greater than 10% and, even more preferably, greater than 15%. The inventors have, indeed, determined that with these respective predetermined values, the error rate differences between the originals and the copies are increasing. Preferably, the point error rate of the original marks are less than a second predetermined value, preferably less than 30%.

For the detection of falsification based on the overall score and / or the local scores of the NAC, as illustrated in FIG. 9, in a step 315, a reading key of the DAC is received and two threshold values, or predetermined limits. During a step 320, an image of the CNA is captured, for example with a digital camera or a scanner.

In a step 325, the DAC is read by implementing the key. If the reading fails, a signal is issued meaning "Copy, falsification or seal damage".

If reading is possible, during a step 330, the overall score of the CNA is calculated.

Then, during a step 335, it is determined whether the overall score of the CNA is greater than the first predetermined threshold. Otherwise, a signal for "copy, forgery, or seal damage" is issued in a step 340. If the result of step 335 is positive, in step 345, the DAC is divided into zones and during a step 350, a score is measured for each zone. For example, divide the upper portion of the ASB into three areas and the lower portion of the ASB into three areas.

Then, during a step 355, it is determined whether the score of the DAC of each zone is greater than the second predetermined threshold. If so, a signal is sent that the seal is authentic, that is, the original seal, and the container has not been opened, in a step 365. Otherwise, transmitting a signifying "copy, tampering, or seal damage" in step 360.

Alternatively, if the result of step 355 is negative, i.e. if the overall score is greater than a first predetermined threshold and if at least one of the scores of a zone is less than the second predetermined threshold, a signal is sent which means "damaged original". If the result of step 355 is negative, a signal is issued that means "copy, falsification or seal damage". As a variant, knowing the expected breaking zone on the CNA, for example if it is along a pre-cut line, the CNA score is calculated in an area situated on this rupture zone. For example, the score is measured in an area within a 100 micron band around the rupture zone.

As a variant, the score measured in each zone of the CNA is compared not with a second predetermined threshold, but with the average score obtained for the CNA to which a predetermined tolerance value is applied. This variant has the advantage that one has a local degradation indicator independent of the print quality of the DAC.

Alternatively, if the overall score is less than the first predetermined value, the area score is calculated and if at least one of the local scores is greater than a third predetermined value, it is concluded that a damaged original is involved.

To predetermine each threshold value to be applied, the expected score for original DAC image marks is estimated. Indeed, this score depends on the punctual unpredictable physical phenomena that caused marking errors during the step 310 of forming the mark.

Then, a threshold value is determined that makes it possible to differentiate the originals from the copies, according to methods known from the prior art, for example by determining the score of the DACs before any degradation of the seals that carry them on packages and by applying a tolerance. according to the variance of the scores.

For the detection of falsification based on the relative displacement of different areas of the DAC, as illustrated in FIG. 10, following steps 305 and 310, during a step 415, an image is captured NAC, for example with a digital camera or scanner.

During a step 420, a digital representation of the original DAC is determined. For example, after reading the DAC in the captured image, it corrects its punctual errors to reconstruct the original DAC. Alternatively, the DAC or package is identified and a request is sent to a centralized and remote DAC database, for example through a telecommunications network. This database returns the identified DAC.

During a step 425, the original DAC is divided into zones with a point representative of each zone, for example its center. For example, the center point of the digital DAC is determined and positioned in the digital image.

Alternatively, the DAC of the captured image is divided into approximately corresponding areas, after eliminating the rotation and scale factor difference effects between the two DAC representations.

During a step 430, the position in the captured image of each of the representative points of the different zones is determined. For this purpose, it identifies, in the captured image, the best correlation with the area of the digital DAC sought and then we find the point of the captured image that corresponds to the barycentre of the digital image area.

During a step 435, for each representative point of a zone, a vector is determined, in two dimensions, representing the distance with each of the points representative of the adjacent zones.

During a step 440, it is determined whether these vectors are equal to the expected vectors assigned a tolerance (for example equal in all directions), vectors that can be estimated from the entire image of the CNA original.

If the distance vector measured is not equal to the expected vector assigned a tolerance, during a step 445, "1" is added to a sum of the pairs of adjacent zones called "non-compliant". Otherwise, during a step 450, this sum is not modified.

Once all the zones analyzed according to the criterion of step 440, during a step 455, it is determined whether the sum considered is greater than a predetermined value. If yes, during a step 460, there is issued a signal meaning "falsified seal". Otherwise, during a step 465, a signal is sent that signifies "original seal"

Optionally, in at least one of steps 460 and 465, an image is displayed indicating non-conforming adjacent areas on the captured DAC image.

To predetermine the threshold value to be applied during step 455, the expected vectors for the different adjacent zones of the CNA are estimated with original DACs, then a threshold value allowing differentiation of the originals from the copies, according to known methods. of the prior art. Indeed, the breaking of the seal, or its takeoff, causes a destruction of a part of the CNA. To set the threshold value, the statistical distribution of this destruction is estimated. For example, the destruction is carried out at a fixed location on several seals, for example at the cutting zone, and the average degradation of the DAC is measured as well as the variance of this degradation at this location. The positions of destruction of the seal can also be varied.

Thus, by exploiting digital means, the present invention makes it possible to use mathematical methods for determining the integrity of a seal, and therefore of a package and its contents, and to rely on machine checks which are less likely to error, and do not require operator specific knowledge.

In particular, the invention exploits the CNAs (acronym for "digital authentication codes"), which are digital means known from the prior art for the protection against copying and secure traceability of documents. The properties of the CNAs are exploited, either by printing them on the seal or by printing them at the level of the opening areas of the packaging (which we will also refer to as generic "seal"). This allows in particular to solve the problem of replacing a damaged seal with a copy of a seal. In addition, the CNA is designed and labeled so that access to the product results in irreversible changes that are detectable and measurable. This allows automatic detection of seal damage, even in cases where a counterfeiter or forger would take special care not to damage the seal. It should be noted that the prior art did not anticipate that DACs could be used as tamper proof means when they are on the seal.

By inserting a DAC on a seal, many seal copy attempts can be detected. In addition, the manipulations of the seal necessary to access the contents of the packaging leads to destruction, at least partial and / or local, irremediable CNA, which can also be detected.

Thus, for a CNA on a seal at the point of rupture of the flange of the wine bottle, or the opening of a medication box, it is possible, thanks to the implementation of the present invention, to detect deterioration of the NAC even if a seal is cleverly retrieved and re-assembled to give the illusion that it is an original seal.

Thanks to the implementation of the present invention, on the one hand, we can not remove the part, for example a bottle cap, without damaging the label, which prohibits the reuse of the container and, secondly, a copy of the label is detectable, thanks to the anti-copy mark. Thus, during the first normal access to the contents of the container, for example during the normal opening of a bottle, the part surrounding the mouth, for example a collar surrounding a bottle neck, and / or the associated label, are visibly impaired and can not be restored.

In FIG. 11, packings 550 are seen, here bottles, each equipped with a label 545, moving on a packaging line (not shown but suggested by an arrow from left to right) to be crated. A printer 530 provides a label 575 for each of the boxes 555. In the particular embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 1, the marking device object of the present invention comprises a supervisor 505, a computer 510, dedicated to image processing from a laying head 520 comprising a digital camera 515, and a database 540 hosted by a computer 580. The supervisor 505 communicates with the computer 580 via a computer network 535, for example the Internet .

Preliminarily at the inlet of each bottle in the device illustrated in FIG. 11, the main label 545 has been affixed to each bottle.

In a first embodiment, when a bottle 550 arrives opposite the laying head 520, the latter places, on the neck of the bottle 550, a flange 560 associated with a label 565 placed on a horse on the edge of the collar. In a second embodiment, when a bottle 550 arrives opposite the laying head 520, the latter places a label 565 straddling the edge of the flange 560 of the bottle 550.

In both cases, the camera 515 then takes a digital photograph of the security elements carried by the label 565. The computer 510 performs a processing of this image to determine the score of an anti-copy mark. According to the comparison of this score and a limit value, the computer 510 provides information representing the quality of installation of the label 565 in order to emit an alarm signal in case of installation or defective label . Optionally, the computer 510 determines a unique imprint of the label and therefore of the bottle 550, based on the position of the one-off printing errors of the anti-copy mark.

According to the present invention, the opening of the bottle 550 requires the deterioration of the flange 560. If a counterfeiter attempts to recover this flange 560 or the label 565 stuck on the glass of the bottle on the rim of the flange 560 , the label 565 is deteriorated. In addition, the tag 565 carries tamper-proof digital data. The label 565 thus offers protection against the total destruction of the collar and its replacement and against its copy.

For each of the tags 565, a serialized primary coding, that is to say coming from the same digital image for a plurality of bottles, integrates:

an authenticating anti-copy mark, that is to say one whose copy can be detected according to the degradation of the rate of one-off errors on the mark that this copy causes,

an element formed of a first random alphanumeric character string,

in the embodiment illustrated by the tag 565, a second string of alphanumeric characters, which is an encrypted image of the first string of characters, written in micro-text and

a traceability element of Datamatrix (registered trademark) type, or two-dimensional barcode.

The adhesive which enables the 565 label to be bonded over its entire surface is a permanent adhesive with reinforced glue specially designed to provide a very high adhesion power on the glass of the bottle 550 and on the flange 560.

Cutting of the 565 label is secure. Indeed, during the manufacture of the label 565, specific destruction nets are accurately distributed on the surface of the label 565. These nets are lines of weakness, fragility or, preferably, pre-cuts. which has the effect of causing the destruction of the label 565, that is to say its visible and irreversible degradation, during an attempt to take off from the label 565. It is thus prohibited to reposition the label 565 after access to the contents of the bottle 550.

For each of the tags 565, the coding areas where the triptych of the digital protection elements (anti-copy mark, character strings and particular Datamatrix) is located are silver or gold.

All numeric values of the visible security elements (copycopy mark, character strings and particular Datamatrix) are linked and serialized. Their values are linked together in the secure client database 540.

Claims

1 - Process for protecting a product contained in a container, the opening of which involves moving two parts of said container in relative motion, characterized in that it comprises:

a step of generating an image,

a step of forming a mark representative of said image straddling said two parts of the container, causing, in said mark, due to punctual unpredictable physical phenomena occurring during the step of forming said mark, a point error rate greater than a predetermined value.

2 - Process according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming a mark comprises a step of printing said image straddling said two parts of the container.

3 - Process according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming a mark comprises a step of apposition of said image on a seal and a step of positioning said seal astride said two parts of the container.

4 - Process according to claim 3, wherein, during the step of forming said mark, said mark is formed on the surface of the seal in contact with the container.

5 - Process according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein, during the step of forming the mark, the seal implemented is at least partially and at least for one wavelength, transparent .

6 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, during the forming step, said mark has, due to said punctual unpredictable physical phenomena, an error rate less than a second predetermined value.

7 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, during the step of generating an image, said image represents a digital authentication code.

8 - Method for detecting the opening of a container, the opening of which involves moving relative two parts of said container, characterized in that it comprises:

9 - Process according to claim 8, wherein, during the step of determining a point error rate, a relative displacement of different zones of the mark is determined.

10 - The method of claim 9, wherein, during the step of determining a point error rate, determining points representative of different areas in the captured image and the relative position of said points.

11 - The method of claim 10, wherein for determining points representative of different areas, in the captured image, the best correlation with a zone of the original digital mark is noted.

12 - Process according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein, during the step of determining an error rate, the error rate is determined in an area lying opposite the boundaries said two parts.

13 - Method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein, during the step of determining an error rate, an error rate is determined for different areas of the mark and, during of the determining step if at least one error rate is greater than said second predetermined value.

14 - Device for protecting a product contained in a container whose opening involves moving two parts of said container in relative motion, characterized in that it comprises:

a means for generating an image,

15 - Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the forming means is adapted so that said mark has, due to said physical phenomena punctually unpredictable, an error rate less than a second predetermined value.

16 - Device for detecting the opening of a container, the opening of which involves moving relative two parts of said container, characterized in that it comprises:

17 - Product container, characterized in that it comprises a mark representative of an image positioned astride two parts of the container which are necessarily detached during the opening of the container and comprising, due to physical phenomena punctually unpredictable, a one-time error rate greater than a predetermined value.