Using DNA to Protect Against Counterfeiting Threats

Counterfeiting operations continue to expand in reach and sophistication, and that means counterfeit products increasingly threaten your supply chain not to mention the health and safety of millions of people worldwide, as well.

There appears to be a growing consensus that traditional methods of oversight and enforcement are simply not enough to stem the tide of fakes, and legitimate businesses are hungry for innovation to help protect their products and intellectual property.

Case in point: Last month, the iconic acoustic guitar manufacturer C.F. Martin & Co., announced that it is partnering with Applied DNA Sciences to help secure its brand from global counterfeiting threats.

According to the Applied DNA Sciences website, the company can use DNA to protect either a product or the entire supply chain. One method, called the SigNature DNA solution, uses DNA from plants to mark and authenticate products. Another, called BioMaterial GenoTyping, can use DNA present in natural material to assure originality and quality throughout the supply chain. Applied DNA Sciences lists applications in: cash-in-transit, textiles and apparel, pima ELS cotton, documents and packaging, fine wine and spirits, electronics and law enforcement.

No doubt technology like this will become increaasingly important if not essential. (Did you read a few weeks ago that counterfeiters have created elaborate fake Apple stores (not just knock-off Apple products, but entire stores) in China?) Companies like C.F. Martin & Co. need to ensure authenticity and brand integrity.

"People around the world know the high level of quality that is inherent in each and every guitar that features the C. F. Martin logo, and protecting our intellectual property is of vital importance, as we face new counterfeit-related challenges at home and abroad," said Chris (C. F.) Martin IV, the sixth-generation Martin to serve as company chairman and CEO.