State
of the art hologram deployed against fakers
Paris, January
23 1998
– T
he ICC’s
Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau is offering its members a highly sophisticated
hologram as a defence against forgery of such items as payment and identification
cards, share certificates, or branded products
The hologram has been developed exclusively for
the use of ICC members, and can be obtained at bargain-basement prices because
there are no initial design and origination costs involved. Charges will depend
on client requirements, quantities involved, and whether any customization of
materials or image is involved.
State-of-the-art technology is used in the CIB
hologram, which relies on a new technique know as Multigram , specially developed
for the CIB by Applied Holographics – a world leader in optical technology.
Multigram is a complex multifacted image that provides high security standards
while remaining visually attractive.
Peter Lowe, Assistant Director of the CIB, said:
"Holograms are now as common and recognisable as the watermark, that long-established
method of authenticating banknotes and other papers of exchange value. The CIB
hologram is one of the most subtle ever devised and would be extremely difficult,
if not impossible, to copy." The CIB Assistant Director said that, to his
knowledge, there has not been a single verifiable case of a well-designed authenticating
hologram being accurately copied.
Mr Lowe added: "The CIB is constantly on the
look-out for more effective ways to combat all types of counterfeiting. It’s
a real technological race between the good guys and the bad guys. We are constantly
coming across fakes that have been made almost impossible to detect without
exhaustive scientific tests because crooks – and particularly organized
crime – are able to abuse new technology."
Last month, the CIB announced an alliance with
anti-counterfeiting groups from leading industrial countries to coordinate their
response to the increased involvement of organized crime in making and selling
fake goods. The alliance includes groups based in France, Germany, Italy, the
Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.