Csiro Chasing Counterfeiters

The technology can be incorporated on to wine labels to protect the integrity of wines and give consumers confidence they are getting what they paid for. The technology can also be used for spare parts for aircraft and vehicles. At the core of the HIT system are markings invisible to the naked eye, but revealed by a specific viewer or filter. The images can be printed on paper and many other substrates with standard techniques and so is relatively cheap to install in a production system. Dr Peter Osvath, the CSIRO Project Leader says, “The digital encoding of the hidden image is complex, impossible to copy and able to be added to existing packs or cartons without changing designs.” Mr Gerhard Welley, CEO of Brandprotection Technologies and Authentification Systems, Vienna, says the new system is a timely development: “In these times of vastly increased security concerns, HIT is not just an optional extra that would be nice to have; it’s a must – like seatbelts and airbags in the auto industry.”