Securikett has unveiled new security labels featuring a cut indicator designed specifically for online shipping.

Following De La Rue’s announcement, a few months ago, that it was in discussions with several parties interested in acquiring one or both of its business divisions – Authentication and Currency – the company has now entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its Authentication division to Crane NXT, for £300 million.

Work has now begun on the programme for the next Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum™, which will take place from 7-9 April 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Following De La Rue’s announcement, a few months ago, that it was in discussions with several parties interested in acquiring one or both of its business divisions – Authentication and Currency – the company has now entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its Authentication division to Crane NXT, for £300 million.

Just when we thought we were getting to know what generative AI was, a more advanced kind of AI is attracting attention in the brand protection world: the agentic kind. What’s more, agentic AI for brand protection is being used to eradicate brand infringements exacerbated by its generative counterpart.

Continuing our series of articles on the strategic perspectives of leading brands in their fight against counterfeit and adulterated products, this month we feature Chugai Pharmaceutical, one of Japan’s top five pharma companies, and a member of Swiss healthcare multinational Roche.

According to experts from Brand Monitor, an online and offline market surveillance company, the demand for counterfeits of specific brands is generated not so much by end consumers as by retailers, who tend to piggyback off the marketing campaigns and reputation of brand owners, and draw in consumers with the temptation of lower prices.

Criminal activities involving counterfeit licence plates are increasing. In the United States, temporary plates have been misused for criminal activities, while in countries like Bolivia, the UK, France, and Australia, thousands of fake plates are reported annually.

Continuing our series of articles on the strategic perspectives of leading brands in their fight against fakes and adulterated products, we turn our attention to Johnson & Johnson (J&J), one of the world's largest healthcare companies.

Traditional anti-counterfeiting printing techniques use enhanced specifications such as high resolution and small dimensions to provide security within static printed images for product authentication labelling and packaging. To enhance protection still further, dynamic print technologies are being developed. One such promising technology has recently been reported in the journal 'Light: Science & Applications' by a research group in Guangzhou, China.

Soon, your fridge may notify you when your milk has gone bad without you having to open the door. Thanks to advances in printed electronics, this could become a reality.

Headquartered in Oberschleissheim, Germany, Schreiner Group is a globally active family-owned company known for its expertise in high-tech labels and functional parts, particularly in the healthcare and mobility sector. Authentication and Brand News™ spoke to Thomas Köberlein, President of the Schreiner ProTech and Pin Trust business unit, about the company's product portfolio, innovation, sustainability and vision for the future.

Anticounterfeit technology provider TrueMed has announced that a top- 10 global pharmaceutical company has selected TrueMed’s AI-driven solution to strengthen its counterfeit drug investigations.

At Authentication & Brand News™, we regularly track new government regulations and initiatives that may impact authentication. For example, in July, we reported on the California watermarking standards bill for differentiating AI-generated from human-generated content, as well as the EU adoption of a product sustainability rule directing the establishment of digital product passports. This month, four new regulations have caught our attention.

Now in its 17th year, the World Trademark Review (WTR) report ‘Anti- Counterfeiting and Online Brand Enforcement Global Guide’ combines strategic analysis with country-by-country brand protection practices.

The year 2024 has introduced notable advances and shifts in election authentication technologies globally. Earlier in the year, we looked at the US state of Georgia’s move towards watermarked ballot papers and away from the use of QR codes to count ballots. This month, we describe how the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Namibia are planning to secure their upcoming elections.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has completed a two-year pilot study aimed at ensuring supply chain integrity and fuel authenticity for drop-in green fuels (ie. renewable fuels made from biomass sources that can be blended with petroleum products).

UAE-based E7 Group, a provider of commercial printing, security solutions, sustainable packaging, and logistics services, has announced a significant AED 182 million (approximately $50 million) investment in its security solutions division, E7 Security.

Intergraf's recent report 'Comparing Print and Digital Media’, provides an overview of studies comparing print and digital communication tools in the context of sustainability, efficiency, and consumer preference. However, some of the findings of the report are also relevant for authentication.

This article outlines K&B's evolving strategy, recent partnerships and core technologies, all contributing to what the company calls its ‘Authentication Solution Portfolio’ – a portfolio of non-invasive authentication solutions.