Leica turns to Schreiner for brand protection

Measuring instrument specialist Leica Geosystems is using a smart label developed by Schreiner ProSecure to protect its products against counterfeiting.

The labels combine five anti-counterfeit technologies, including security inks, holographic elements, a unique encrypted number that can be used to check the authenticity of a product online (which also appears as a QR code) and tamper-evidence technology.

More information can be found in the press statement below:

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Quality seal by Schreiner ProSecure for Leica Geosystems

• Worldwide protection against counterfeiting
• Leica Geosystems has developed a brand protection programme to comprehensively combat counterfeiting

Leica Geosystems offers a comprehensive range of innovative products and solutions for precise acquisition and easy analysis of data, and for visualization and presentation of spatial information. The Swiss company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-precision measurement instruments. Since 2005, it has been part of the Swedish Hexagon Group but continues to sell its products under its own name. About 3,800 employees in 33 countries and hundreds of partners in more than 210 countries serve some ten thousand customers.

Many brands are struggling with massive product piracy problems and the resulting loss of sales – particularly with counterfeit accessory components. In addition, frequently unjustified warranty claims, return obligations and even product liability issues have a negative effect on sales and damage a brand's image. 71 percent of German industrial companies are affected by product or brand piracy, according to the latest VDMA market study on product piracy. Estimated losses incurred by German machine manufacturers amount to about eight billion euros per year.

To combat product piracy using an all-encompassing approach, Leica Geosystems, in collaboration with Schreiner ProSecure, has developed a proprietary brand protection program. This cooperation was supported by the comprehensive industry know-how of the business unit ProTech. The quality seals used to mark the original accessories are an essential element of the product protection strategy. These identification labels are provided with diverse security features and make the product unmistakable for the end user. A portfolio of overt and covert features is available to prove the product's authenticity. In addition, a void or self-destructive effect reliably indicates any tampering attempt or first opening.

Due to the wide range of accessory components and diversity of the materials from which they are made Leica Geosytems, after carefully considering several approaches, ultimately opted for security labels by Schreiner ProSecure. The high content of external manufacturing in other countries played an important part in the decision as well. "In the past, it was nearly impossible to distinguish our original accessories from fakes," says Gerhard Sönser, the product manager for original accessories. The quality seal for the entire range of Leica Geosystems original accessories was introduced last year. It can be found on any packaging containing Leica Geosystems original accessories, such as prisms, tribrachs, poles and tripods, plus electronic accessories like batteries, cables, memory cards and USB sticks. 

"This modern security system has been designed to give customers fast and easy certainty that their accessories are genuine components of a Leica Geosystems total solution," product manager Sönser explains. The company works closely with its specialized retailers to protect their business from potential losses due to online shops and to ensure that their customers are satisfied with the quality being offered.

"Five security features have been combined with each other to achieve a high level of counterfeit protection and to enable authentication by different target groups," explains Thomas Völcker from Schreiner ProSecure. Specifically, the quality seal for Leica Geosystems integrates the following technologies:

Color-shifting Security Ink

The special composition of the security ink results in a color shift from pink to green, depending on the viewing angle. The color-shifting ink is detectable without any aids and, as a decorative element, immediately catches the eye of customs officials, distributors and buyers.

Holographic elements

The 2D holographic embossing is an easily discernible security feature. The diffractive optical variable image carries multiple overt and covert features that serve as first-glance authentication features but also convey value and quality.

KeySecure in human-readable format

Each label is provided with a unique, encrypted number that can be entered on a website to confirm the authenticity of the product.

KeySecure as QR code

The KeySecure number is also integrated in a QR Code and can be checked directly, using a smartphone, for particularly fast identification and efficient monitoring of the distribution chain.

Security die cuts as tamper protection

Integrated die cuts serve to prevent a complete detachment of the seal. The laboratory tests performed on different types of packaging have confirmed that these security die cuts effectively indicate attempts to detach the seal within a temperature range from -25 to +65 degrees centigrade and that undamaged detachment of the seal is impossible.

A year following its rollout, the quality seal has become established with specialized retailers and customers of Leica Geosystems. Product manager Gerhard Sönser is fully satisfied with the solution: "Customers can now authenticate any accessory they've purchased. This ensures that they will benefit from the reliability and quality of an original Leica Geosystems product."