Annual Press Conference - Keeping counterfeiters at bay: the tesa PrioSpot®

Mar 20, 2013

High quality and a well-known brand can make something a coveted commodity – not only among consumers, but also with counterfeiters. That’s why many manufacturers of name-brand goods put their trust in security concepts from tesa scribos. At the same time, effective anti-counterfeiting measures always have to stay one step ahead of counterfeiters; otherwise, those measures themselves will be imitated on a massive scale. With the new tesa PrioSpot®, tesa scribos offers the highest security level ever achieved. For ten years now, tesa scribos has been continuously advancing its technology platform, so counterfeiters have been unable to copy it or produce even rudimentary imitations.

The tesa PrioSpot® offers maximum protection and new, clearly visible markings that let retailers and consumers check whether an item is genuine. At a resolution of more than 15,000 dpi, the information is laser-written into the material of the PrioSpot® at various levels.

The individual code for that specific unit and additional information, such as logos or logistics data, can be read with a scanner, magnifying glass, and even with the naked eye. Alongside hidden features, the flagship scribos® technology also offers a number of “open” features with maximum protec-tion from counterfeiting – and it does so with a unique combination found nowhere else on the market. It includes code numbers that shift when the PrioSpot® is moved, along with elements that become visible only when exposed to LED light. The design of the PrioSpot® also varies according to the angle at which light strikes it.

Sennheiser intensifies anti-counterfeiting protection
Sennheiser, a premium manufacturer of microphones, headphones, and wireless transmission systems, is among those relying on tesa scribos for maximum protection. The company is intensifying its global efforts to com-bat product counterfeiting and protect both customers and the Sennheiser brand. After all, counterfeit products also deceive customers, since the fal-sified goods have poor sound properties and definitely do not meet Senn-heiser’s stringent quality standards. And because the illegal copies also do not undergo the same strict testing and inspection process as the originals, it is even possible that users might suffer hearing damage when using them. With all this in mind, Sennheiser is protecting its customers from imitations by using the PrioSpot® on its packages and products and additionally linking the labels to the tesa® connect & check brand protection concept. The initiative allows consumers, retailers, and customs agents to quickly check whether a product is genuine, using just a smartphone or notebook computer. All they have to do is scan the QR code printed on the package. The data are then transmitted via a secure Internet connection. The system checks the information and confirms that the product is authentic.

End-to-end monitoring of flows of goods
Effective measures to protect a company’s image and customers are also important to producers of name-brand wines, olive oil, dried fruit, and other foods. The goal is to prevent counterfeit products from entering the supply chain and make it clearly apparent to anyone that the goods are genuine. This is where tesa® trust&trace comes in. The concept integrates physical methods of verifying authenticity, such as the tesa PrioSpot®, into existing logistics processes. Merchandise tracking systems based on barcodes, 2D matrix codes, or RFID and NFC technology are simply combined with tesa scribos technology. This makes it possible, for example, to record an indi-vidual product even before the production process is complete and then, during packaging, to link that product with the code used for the transporta-tion package and, later, with an RFID pallet label. In the logistics sector, this method lets tesa scribos supply dependable data for quality control and help uncover gray market trading.

This concept is successfully in use by various customers, such as the French winery association Le Cercle Rive Droite de Grands Vins de Bor-deaux. The association has represented over 135 French wine estates since 2002. Many other customers in the wine industry, such as Hine, Bey-chevelle, and Barton & Guestier, also work with tesa scribos. In other seg-ments, luxury brand George Gina & Lucy, premium outdoor clothing pro-ducer Mammut, and the Altıparmak honey company, a market leader based in Turkey, all rely on tesa® trust&trace.