Authorities are becoming increasingly tough on purveyors of counterfeit goods, but now consumers can feel even more assured that the items they buy are authentic.
The Exhibition of Anti-counterfeiting Technology and Application opened Monday and continues through tomorrow at the Shanghai Everbright Exhibition and Convention Center. Nearly 60 domestic and overseas companies are taking part in the exposition.
Currently, anti-counterfeiting pro-ducts fall chiefly into three categories depending on the technology used in the production.
The most common method is to stamp packaging with a laser-print label that glitters in different colors, but it's a technique that's easy to fool.
Far more expensive is the use of a database that consumers can access via special hot lines.
Consumers simply call up the manufacturer and input the product code to verify its authenticity.
The Beijing-based Dawning Infor-mation Industry Co., Ltd., for example, has developed an intelligent anti-counterfeiting system using mobile phones. Consumers can send the product number by "short message" to the factory and get confirmation, said Zhang Song, manager of the firm's business department.
A third technique is the most advanced: Texels technology, which prints different patterns on a label that can only be viewed with help of special light.
The sponsor of this week's exhibition is the New Technology Development Center of the China Association of Science and Technology.
(eastday.com April 9, 2002)
