Apparatus and method for fine art authentication

• US 20070247317A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rick Farrell
• Original Assignee: Rick Farrell
• Inventors: Farrell, Rick
• Application Number:
  US11/408,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20070247317A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.800
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07381 with deactivation or otherwise incapacitation of at least a part of the circuit upon detected tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

The present invention incorporates a fine art authentication system to authenticate artwork that are certified to be originals from an accounted-for limited edition. Each reproduction has a non-reproducible RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) tag attached to the back of the canvas or paper, using a specially developed inert compound that will not react with the canvas or inks. The bonding is secure, acid-free and will not hurt or degrade the image. The embedded RFID tag is covered with a Lexan disk identifying the art as an authentic original reproduction. The RFID tag contains an electronic serial number that can be read by an inexpensive RFID scanner at participating galleries. This number is unique to the artist, the image and the edition number and cannot be duplicated. The device cannot be removed without damaging artwork and rendering the RFID tag inoperative. The electronically encrypted data may include the serial number, date of purchase, name of artist and number of reprints in the limited edition. The process allows certification that the artwork is authentic and that it is a specific number from the limited edition.

Claims

1. A method for providing authentication of multiple authorized reproductions of a work of art, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an RFID tag for each of said reproductions;

b) programming each said RFID tag with information relating to each reproduction of said work of art including the total number of authorized reproductions and the specific number assigned to each said reproduction;

c) installing each said RFID tag in a corresponding protective housing; and

d) bonding each said housing to a corresponding reproduction in a manner which does not obscure the art and which would result in damage to the reproduction if removed therefrom.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein step c) includes the step of providing a recess in said housing for receiving said RFID tag.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said housing is made of a non-conductive material which will not interfere with the transmission of electromagnetic energy to and from said RFID tag.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said RFIG tag is configured as a flexible film-based printed circuit.

5. The method recited in claim 4 wherein in step d) a first part of said RFID tag printed circuit is bonded into said housing and a second part of said RFID tag printed circuit is bonded to said reproduction.

6. The method recited in claim 5 wherein said first part of said RFID tag printed circuit is not bonded to said reproduction.

7. The method recited in claim 5 wherein said second part of said RFID tag printed circuit is not bonded to said housing.

8. The method recited in claim 1 wherein each said RFID tag has a unique number associated with it.

9. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the information programmed into each RFID tag is encrypted so that it can be deciphered only by a scanner appropriately programmed to decrypt the information.

10. An apparatus used for authenticating a work of art, the apparatus comprising:

an RFID tag that is programmed to contain information relevant to the work of art and which uniquely identifies the work of art;

a housing for receiving the RFID tag in a manner that prevents access to the RFID tag after attachment of the housing to the work of art; and

a bonding material for affixing the housing and the RFID tag to the work of art in a manner which will not obscure the work of art, but which will damage the work of art if the housing is removed therefrom.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 10 wherein said RFID tag is configured and contained in said housing in a manner which will destroy the RFID tag if the housing is removed from the work of art.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein said RFID tag comprises a flexible film-based printed circuit having a first part bonded to said housing and a second part for bonding to said work of art.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein said RFID tag comprises an RFID chip attached to an antenna and wherein one of said chip and antenna is bonded to said housing and the other of said chip and antenna is for bonding to said work of art.

14. The apparatus recited in claim 10 wherein said information is encoded so that it can be understood only by scanners having a corresponding decoding program.