18 companies join to form International Authentication Alliance

The growing problems of global counterfeiting, piracy, identity theft and terrorism have created a compelling need to ensure the validity of vital government documents such as currency, passports, driver’s licenses and identity cards. Also, companies the world over are increasingly under attack from counterfeiters who are stealing billions of dollars annually in revenue and profits, undermining public trust in valuable brands and in extreme cases causing injury and even death to unsuspecting consumers.

In this fight against fraud, governments and companies have increasingly come to rely on the use of authentication technologies as a first line of defense against counterfeits, in order to quickly and positively identify genuine from fake products. Today, these authentication technologies are all around us, not just in money and credit cards, but in everyday products like clothing, footwear, computers, cell phones, video games, jewelry and software, and critical healthcare products like drugs and medical devices. But even though authentication technologies are everywhere, their use is often not well understood by many stakeholder groups who can benefit from them.

To respond to this need for better communication and understanding of how authentication technologies can be utilized in anti-counterfeiting strategy, 18 companies have joined together to form the International Authentication Association, or IAA. The IAA’s primary objectives are to promote the use of authentication technologies as an integral part of an effective strategy to protect products, documents & their users from counterfeiting and fraud, and to educate government agencies, inter-government organizations and brand owners regarding the role and use of authentication. IAA members comprise both providers and users of authentication technologies and range from global multi-nationals to emerging companies. They include:

. • 3M Brand and Asset Protection • DuPont Authentication
. • Authentix • Hologram Company Rako
. • Payne Security • Hologram Industries
. • Schreiner ProSecure • NanoInk
. • Tesa scribos • SICPA
. • TUV Rheinland • JDSU / Flex Products
. • ARmark Authentication Technologies • Solos IT
. • Honeywell • Johnson & Johnson
. • Label Systems Authentication • ACS Coding

Today, IAA members’ technologies protect global products valued in the hundreds of billions, the majority of the world’s currency, and numerous passports, ID cards and other vital documents.

‘Authentication technologies are on the front line of the war against counterfeiting every day, but many of us don’t realize it or appreciate the role they play in fighting counterfeits,’ said David Howard of Johnson & Johnson Healthcare, who was elected chairman. ‘The IAA will change that, and build a better appreciation of the value of authentication in anti-counterfeiting strategy.’

Other elected directors of the IAA include Randall Burgess of tesa scribos, Simon Wildash of Payne Security, Gunther Galfe of Schreiner ProSecure and Erin Kane of Honeywell. Reconnaissance International has been appointed to handle the IAA’s secretariat.

The IAA was formally launched on January 10 at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The launch event was hosted by the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy, an initiative of the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.