Authenticity feature
Authenticity features are properties added to a product to recognize that it is an authentic item. Applying authenticity features is a proven method against plagiarism and forgery of money, securities and documents. Once it is determined that an authenticity feature is missing, there is a high likelihood of fraud in the form of counterfeiting, copying or forgery.
In practice, authenticity features are mainly used for products that represent a certain value, or for which it is essential to be able to establish authenticity. Examples include cash (banknotes and coins), vouchers, debit and credit cards. One or more authenticity features are also often added to exclusive products such as jewelry, clothing, watches and official merchandising.
Examples of authenticity features
Essential to an effective authenticity mark is that it cannot be easily reproduced. In the case of letter money, one way this is done is by working with special tactile ink, watermarks and texts that are illegible to the naked eye. Another example of an authenticity mark is the application of a hologram with a certain figure.
Passports, driver's licenses and identity cards are not only provided with visible authenticity features, including a version of the passport photo applied by perforation. Since 2006, they also contain a chip with the holder's data. The fingerprints stored on the RFID chip of passports can only be read by authorized government agencies.
Digital data can also be provided with authentication features. One possibility is to encrypt and/or sign the data using a security certificate or digital signature. So-called copyright traps are sometimes added to databases in order to identify the origin in case of improper reproduction.
