Patent granted to anti-counterfeit method for knitted yarn

A recently issued US patent covers an anti-counterfeiting feature that the applicant says can protect knitted fabric garments without the use of any additional tags or technologies.

The patent (No. 11,702,775) – awarded to Heng Sheng Investment Ltd – describes the use of two yarns in the production of an item of clothing, one that forms the main garment and a second introduced during its production with a slightly different colour or shade that forms a distinctive pattern on one side of the fabric.

According to the patent (PDF), the process relies on the randomness of yarn twisting, which would make the feature almost impossible to replicate by a counterfeiter.