A sneaker manufacturer has used blockchain technology to create smart tags that can track their sneakers to the factory, so they are impossible to counterfeit , according to fastcodedesign.com .
The manufacturer, Greats, tapped the services of a software authentication system and a 3-D printer to design the smart tags. The tags include an NFC chip that can be scanned with a smart phone. The smart tag records the sneakers’ history all the way to its creation. A Way To Battle Counterfeiters
The technology could prove to be a promising way to battle the $600 billion counterfeit fashion industry.
According to U.S. customs statistics, close to 40% of all counterfeit goods are sneakers, making counterfeiting a $240 billion problem for sneaker manufacturers.
The system can prevent designs from being counterfeited and robbing sales from original manufacturers.
Any design that a licensed factory can mass produce can eventually be manufactured by a counterfeit factory at a cheaper price. The counterfeiter does not have to invest the R&D and original marketing costs.
Original manufacturers have tried using certificates and seals to assure authenticity, but counterfeiters have been able to fake these as well. Software Authentication And 3-D Printing
Greats, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based sneaker manufacturer, turned to Origin, a 3-D printing manufacturer, and Chronicled, a sneaker and fashion software authentication company, to develop smart tags for its Breast Mode sneakers. Each 3-D printed smart tag has a unique identification code stamped on it that links to a specific pair of shoes. Each tag has an encrypted NFC chip that can be tracked by a mobile phone.Because the chip gets baked into the 3-D printing process, it cannot be removed from the plastic without destroying it. The tag allows anyone purchasing the product to track its history.Chronicled recognized that blockchain technology ensures bitcoins cannot be counterfeited since […]
