Method and system for deterring product counterfeiting

• US 20140324716A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carolina Haber Florencio, Florencio, Dinei Afonso Ferreira
• Original Assignee: Carolina Haber Florencio, Florencio, Dinei Afonso Ferreira
• Inventors: Florencio, Dinei Afonso Ferreira, Florencio, Carolina Haber
• Application Number:
  US13/872,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324716A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture to produce disincentives to wearing counterfeit or stolen merchandise in public. In particular, the architecture utilizes a unique identifier associated with each unit of the product, and provides both a registration channel for receiving ownership registration and a verification channel to receive requests for verification. By way of illustration, the architecture can include associating a brand logotype that includes unique markings with each unit of a product, a private web service where the retailer may upload customer information at the time of sale, and a publicly available web service, where a third party may inquire about the ownership of a product containing a certain unique identifier.

Claims

1. A method for providing information regarding legitimate ownership of a product, the method comprising making each unit of merchandise uniquely identifiable, storing information about the corresponding legitimate owner of each unit in a database, and providing part or all of said information, upon request, to a third party, the method further comprising at least a manufacturing step, a registration step, and a verification step;

wherein said manufacturing step includes at least;

Permanently attaching a first identifier to each unit of merchandise, said identifier being able to be uniquely identified by a third party without requiring knowledge or consent from the owner, nor contact or close proximity to the product;

and wherein said registration step includes at least;

associating one entry in said database with said first identifier;

storing, in association with said entry, information about the said first unique identifier;

storing, in association with said entry, enough personal information about the said legitimate owner or owners;

collecting from the legitimate owner, authorization to release all or part of said personal information to any third party that requests said personal information, and provides enough information about said first unique identifier;

and wherein said verification step includes at least;

a public-facing web service that receives verification requests, said request available to anyone interested;

receiving enough information about a second identifier to uniquely identify such second identifier among all identifiers stored in said database;

consulting the stored information regarding the legitimate owners of the product associated with said second identifier;

providing part or all the information stored about said owner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier can be identified by visual methods.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier consists of a pattern or drawing, and the uniqueness is obtained by varying the color of different units or elements of the pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier is integral part of the designer logo or the product design.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier consists of or contains a digital watermark.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is unique to each unit of the merchandise.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifier can be identified by visual methods.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier consists of a pattern or drawing, and the uniqueness is obtained by varying the elements or color of different units of the pattern.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the information provided about the owner consists of a url, hyperlink, or other means to point at a website.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the url points to a profile of the owner at a social site.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving information about a possible owner, said information being sufficient to determine whether a match with the registered owner is likely;

providing information about the likelihood of a match between the provided information and the one stored in the database as the legitimate owner.

12. A method for reducing the desirability of illegitimate merchandise, the method comprising making each unit of merchandise uniquely identifiable, storing information about the corresponding legitimate owner of each unit in a database, and providing, upon request from a third party, the likelihood of a match between the information provided by the third party, and the information stored in the database, the method further comprising:

associating each unit of merchandise with a unique identifier;

associating an entry in said database to each said unit of merchandise;

storing in association to said entry personal information about the legitimate owner of said unit;

receiving a authentication request from a third party, said authentication request including information about the unique identifier, as well as about a possible owner;

wherein said information about the unique identifier is enough to uniquely identify said identifier, and wherein said information about the possible owner is enough to reduce the uncertainty about the match between the legitimate user information stored in the database and the provided information

returning, in response to said authentication request, the likelihood of a match between the information provided about the possible owner, and the corresponding information stored in the database entry associated with the provided unique identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a means for the customer to access and update his own information stored in the site.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a report is generated in association with the recording of the customer data, to be given by the retailer to the customer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said report contains a temporary password or other means to enable the customer to subsequently change or correct part or all of said stored information.

16. A method for providing information regarding legitimate ownership of a product, the method comprising making each unit of merchandise uniquely identifiable, storing information about the corresponding legitimate owner of each unit in a database, and providing part or all of said information, upon request, to a third party, the method further comprising at least a manufacturing step, a retail sale step, a registration step, and a verification step;

wherein said manufacturing step includes at least;

permanently attaching a first identifier to each unit of merchandise, said identifier being able to be uniquely identified by a third party;

and wherein said retail sale step includes at least;

providing the buyer with an authentication code or device with each unit of merchandise,

and wherein said registration step includes at least;

authenticating the buyer by using the authentication code provided in the retail step;

associating one entry in said database with said first identifier;

storing, in association with said entry, information about the said first unique identifier;

storing, in association with said entry, enough personal information about the said legitimate owner or owners;

collecting from the legitimate owner, authorization to release all or part of said personal information to any third party that requests said personal information, and provides enough information about said first unique identifier;

and wherein said verification step includes at least;

a public-facing web service that receives verification requests, said request available to anyone interested;

receiving enough information about a second identifier to uniquely identify such second identifier among all identifiers stored in said database;

consulting the stored information regarding the legitimate owners of the product associated with said second identifier;

providing part or all the information stored about said owner.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier can be identified by visual methods.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identifier consists of a pattern or drawing, and the uniqueness is obtained by varying the color of different units or elements of the pattern, said identifier being integral part of the designer logo or product design.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier can be automatically read by computer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the identifier is a QR code, or another two dimensional barcode.