From wine labels to passports, embedded ‘hidden’ images protect against fakes. A leading Australian printer of wine labels has stolen a march on its rivals by adopting a timely new brand-protection and security system, Hidden Image Technology (HIT). Future buyers of premium wine will swoon over their top drop with greater confidence that they are getting what they paid for.

And wine labels are only the start. A large European pharmaceutical company is evaluating the CSIRO-developed HIT. Other applications include personal ID cards and passports.

It is now widely recognised that brand theft and related fraud cost billions of dollars a year, and it is no longer just profits and tax revenues that suffer. Today’s counterfeiters threaten the health and safety of consumers when they devise scams for safety-related products such as medicines, surgical equipment and spare parts for aircraft and vehicles.

‘The digital encoding of the hidden image is complex, defying copying and reverse engineering.’
Dr Peter Osvath

The development has already been welcomed by one of the world’s leading security consultancies.

Mr Gerhard Welley, CEO of Brandprotection Technologies and Authentification Systems, consults to many European companies. Speaking from Vienna, Mr Welley says the new system is a timely development: “In these times of vastly increased security concerns, HIT is not just an optional extra that would be nice to have, it’s a must – like seatbelts and airbags in the auto industry.”

At the core of the HIT system are markings invisible to the naked eye, but revealed by a specific viewer or filter. The project leader at CSIRO Molecular Science, Dr Peter Osvath, says the image encryption software operates at the individual pixel level.

“The digital encoding of the hidden image is complex, defying copying and reverse engineering,” he says. “HIT images can be placed ‘under’ existing logos or on parts of a pack that appear blank. So they can be added to existing packs without changing designs.”

Hidden images can be printed on paper or textiles with standard techniques. Maximum security is achieved with laser and ultra-high resolution embossing methods. The CSIRO team is now developing an automated recognition of hidden images.

For further information contact:
CSIRO Enquiries
Email: Solve@csiro.au      Web: www.csiro.au
Tel: 1300 363 400       International: +61 3 9545 2176

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Last Updated: August 8, 2005
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