GB2330347A

GB2330347A - Authentication by symbols visible when irradiated

Info

Publication number: GB2330347A
Application number: GB9721828A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andreas Photiou
Original assignee: A P XPRESS Ltd
Current assignee: A P XPRESS Ltd
Priority date: 1997-10-16
Filing date: 1997-10-16
Publication date: 1999-04-21
Also published as: AU9359198A; GB9721828D0; WO1999020458A1

Abstract

A tamperproof authentication material is fabricated by a method which comprises laminating together two sheets of board or paper by means of an adhesive and under pressure, the inner surface of one of the sheets of board or paper bearing a plurality of identifying symbols previously applied to the surface by a suitable printing method, such as lithographic printing, and visible when irradiated. The resulting laminate can optionally thereafter be overprinted with a plurality of information segments and then divided up into a plurality of individual information segments each incorporating at least part of said identifying symbol, the segments being of a size appropriate to the required use thereof. When the laminate is subjected to irradiation, such as visible light, the identifying symbols present with the laminate become visible, thereby enabling authentication of the item associated with the laminate to be effected. The laminate may be divided into a plurality of labels each of a size suitable for use with a manufactured item such as an article of clothing.

Description

Authentication of manufactured items This invention relates to the authentication of manufactured items such as, for example ciothing, and is concerned with the provision of a tamperproof authentication material suitable for use with such manufactured items.

The ready availability of counterfeit products and their passing off as genuine products is of great concern to the manufacturers and suppliers of the genuine products. It is weli known that counterfeit items of ciothing, for example jeans, are marketed as the genuine article using identification labels purporting to signify the genuine article, and are purchased by members of the public unaware of the counterfeit nature of the goods being purchased. it is an object of the present invention to provide manufacturers and suppliers of manufactured items for consumer purchase with a means of authenticating such items, so that suppiiers and purchasers can be confident that the item supplied and purchased is the genuine article and not a counterfeit product.

Thus in accordance with the invent ion, there is provided a tamperproof authentication material suitable for use with an item of manufacture, for instance an item of ciothing, the material comprising a laminated board formed of at least two sheets of paper or board, characterised in that, prior to the laminating of the sheets of board or paper, there is applied to the inner surface of at ieast one of the sheets of board or paper at least one identifying symbol which will authenticate the origin of the item with which the material is to be associated, wherein the or each identifying symbol on the inner surface can become visible when the material is subjected to irradiation.

In a preferred embodiment of the invent ion, the laminated board is overprinted on at least one side thereof with information relating to the item with which the material is to be associated.

It will be appreciated that the material will be made to a size which is appropriate for the item of manufacture with which the material is to be used. Thus the material may be cut to a size suitable for use in labelling, ticketing or packaging various items, for example garments, shoes, shirt boxes, perfume boxes and watches.

In a preferred embodiment of the invent ion, the identifying symbol applied to the inner surface is the name and/or logo of an individual, or of a firm or company. The identifying symbol is capable of becoming apparent when the material is subjected to irradiation, such as light, for example visible artificial light produced by electricity, or other forms of specialist irradiation such as ultra-violet light. It will be appreciated that the identifying symbol, generally applied by a printing process, will be formed using an ink which will be appropriate to the irradiation by which it is to be viewed. Thus a standard printing ink can be used when viewing is to be effected under electric light, and likewise an ultra-violet reactive printing ink may be used when viewing by means of ultra-violet light.

The tamperproof authentication material of the invention may be fabricated by a method which comprises laminating together two or more sheets of board or paper by means of an adhesive and under pressure, the inner surface of at least one of the sheets of board or paper bearing a plurality of identifying symbols previously applied to the surface by a suitable printing method such as lithographic printing; optionally thereafter overprinting the resulting laminated board with a plurality of information segments; and thereafter dividing up the resulting board into a plurality of portions each incorporating at least part of, preferably one or more of, said identifying symbol, the port ions being of a size appropriate to the required use thereof.

For example, the laminated board may be divided into a plurality of labels or tickets each of a size suitable for use with a specific item of manufacture, for example an article of clothing. For packaging purposes, the material will be divided into portions capable of being used for packaging or boxing items such as, for example perfume and shirts.

The authentication material may be produced from board or paper having a weight in the range of, for example, from 100 to 1000gsm, so that the laminated material will have a corresponding weight of 200 to 2000gsm. Advantageously each board or paper may have a weight in the range of from 180 to 350gsm. The sheets of paper or board forming the laminate may all be of the same weight, or may have differing weights.

Each sheet may be coated on one surface and uncoated on the other, which will generally be the inner surface in the finished laminated material. Alternatively, each sheet may be coated on both surfaces, or have both surfaces uncoated.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, examples of the manufacture of authentication material in accordance with the invention will now be given.

EXAMPLE 1 A reel of coated/uncoated 240gsm board was subjected to a printing step in which a plurality of symbols consisting of a company name was printed on the uncoated surface of the board using a standard printing ink.

The resulting reel was then laminated under pressure with a second plain reel of coated/uncoated 240gsm board using a commercially available water-based polyvinyl alcohol adhesive.

The resulting 480gsm laminate was then printed on one side with a plurality of segments of matter referring to the item of clothing with which the authentication material was intended for use, in this example pairs of jeans. The laminate was then guillotined into sheets of the required size, which in turn were subjected to a die cutting step so as to convert the laminate into a plurality of individual authentication labels of a size suitable for attachment to each pair of jeans. Upon viewing the label under an electric light it was possible to see the company name within the label. This provided the necessary authentication of the origin of the article of clothing for the manufacturer, distributor and seller, thereby providing assurance that the article was the genuine article and not a counterfeit product.

EXAMPLE 2 Manufacture of authentication material was conducted as described in Example 1, except that there was used coated/uncoated 225gsm board so as to form a 450gsm laminate.

EXAMPLE3 Manufacture of authentication material was conducted as described in Example 1, except that there was used coated/coated 225gsm board so as to form a 450gsm laminate.

EXAMPLE 4 Manufacture of authentication material was conducted as described in Example I, except that there was used uncoated/uncoated 240gsm board so as to form a 480gsm laminate.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A tamperproof authentication material suitable for use with an item of manufacture, the material comprising a laminated board formed of at least two sheets of paper or board, characterised in that, prior to the laminating of the sheets of board or paper, there is applied to the inner surface of at least one of the sheets of board or paper at least one identifying symbol which will authenticate the origin of the item with which the material is to be associated, wherein the or each identifying symbol on the inner surface can become visible when the material is subjected to irradiation.
2. An authentication material as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the laminated board is overprinted at least on one side thereof with information relating to the item with which the material is to be associated.
3. An authentication material as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the material is of a size appropriate for use with an item of manufacture which is clothing or the like.
4. An authentication material as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the identifying symbol applied to the inner layer is the name andlor logo of an individual, or firm or company.
5. An authentication material as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the authentication material is composed of two sheets of board or paper each having a weight in the range of from 100 to 1000gsm.
6. An authentication material as claimed in Claim 5, wherein each sheet of the board or paper has a weight of from 180 to 350gsm.
7. An authentication material as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheets of paper or board forming the laminate are all of the same weight.
8. An authentication material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the sheets of paper or board forming the laminate are of differing weights.
9. An authentication material as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each sheet is coated on one surface and uncoated on the other.
10. An authentication material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein each sheet is coated or uncoated on both surfaces.
11. An authentication material as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the identifying symbol is capable of becoming apparent when subjected to visible artificial light.
12. An authentication material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the identifying symbol is capable of becoming apparent when subjected to ultra-violet light.
13. A method of producing a tamperproof authentication material, which comprises laminating together two or more sheets of board or paper by means of an adhesive and under pressure, the inner surface of at least one of the sheets of board or paper bearing a plurality of identifying symbols previously applied to the surface by a printing step; optionally thereafter overprinting the resulting laminated board with a plurality of information segments. and thereafter dividing up the resulting laminated board into a plurality of port ions each incorporating at least part of said identifying symbol, the portions being of a size appropriate to the required use thereof.
14. A method according to Claim 13, wherein the laminated board is divided into a plurality of labels each of a size suitable for use with an article of clothing.
15. A method according to Claim 13 or 14, wherein the authentication material is produced from two sheets of board or paper each having a weight in the range of from 100 to 1000gsm.
16. A method according to Claim 15, wherein each sheet of the board or paper has a weight of 180 to 350gsm.
17. An authentication meterial as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 16, wherein the identifying symbol is capable of becoming visible when subjected to vls;ble artificial light
18. An authentication material as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 16, wherein the identifying symbol is capable of becoming visible when subjected to ultra-violet light.

17. A method of producing a tamperproof authentication material, substantially as described in any one of the foregoing Examples.

18. A tamperproof authentication material whenever produced by the method claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 17.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS: 1. A method of producing a tamperproof authentication material suitable for use with an tem of manufacture, which comprises applying to one surface of a first sheet cf board or paper a plurality of dent flying symbols by means of a printing process, and affixing to said first sheet by means of an adhesive and under pressure a second sheet of board or paper superposed on the surface of the first sheet bearing the identifying symbols, whereby when the resulting laminate @s subjected to irradiation the dent fang symbols present within the laminate are capable of becoming visible when subjected to ;r radiation.

2. A method according to Clam 1, wherein the laminate is overprinted on at least one surface thereof with a plurality Info mat on segments, and the resulting laminated material is thereafter divided up into a plurality of individual information segments each incorporating at least part of said identifying symbol, the segments being of a s;ze appropriate to the required use thereof.

3. A method according to Claim 2, where; the laminate is divided in:o plurality cf labels each of z size su@ table for use with an article of clothing 4. A method according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the authentication material @s produced from two sheets cf board or paper each having a weight in the range of from 100 to 1000gsm.

5. A method according to Claim 4. where; each sheet of the board or paper has a weight of 180 to 350gsm.

6. A tamperproof authentication mater a suitable for use with an item of manufacture, the material comprising a laminate of unitary Structure formed by the affixing together of at least two sheets of paper or board, characterised In that, prior to the laminating of the sheets of board paper, there is applied to the inner surface of at least one of the sheets of board or paper a plurality of identifying symbols which will authenticate the origin of the item with which the material is to be associated, wherein the identifying symbols present on the inner surface are capable of becoming visible when subjected to irradiation.

7. An authentication material as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the laminate is overprinted on at least one surface thereof with information relating to the item with which the material is to be associated.

8. An authentication material as claimed In Claim 6 or 7, wherein the material is of a size appropriate for use with an item of manufacture.

9. An authentication material as claimed In Claim 8, wherein the material is of a size suitable for use with an item of clothing.

10. An authentication material as claimed in any one cf Claims 6 to 9, wherein the identifying symbol applied to the inner surface is the name and/or logo of an individual. firm or company.

11 . An authentication material as claimed In any one of Claims 6 to 10, wherein the authentication material is composed of two sheets of board or paper each having a weight in the range of from 100 to 1000gsm.

12. An authentication material as claimed ;n Claim 11, wherein each sheet of the board or paper has a weight of from 180 to 350gsm.

13. An authentication materal as claimed in any one of Claims S to 12, wherein the sheets of paper or board forming the laminate are all of the same weight 14. An authentication material as claimed n any one of Claims 6 to 12, wherein the sheets of paper or board forming the laminate are of differing weights.

15. An authentication material as claimed in any one cf Claims 6 to 14, wherein each sheet is coated on one surface and uncoated on the other surface thereof.

16. An authentication material as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 14, wherein each sheet is coated or uncoated on both surfaces.