Counterfeiting is one of the most serious threats to real product legitimacy. Counterfeit goods account for around 8–9% of total trade, resulting in revenue loss. Holograms and barcodes are used by goods makers to combat this problem. The issue of the authentic product remains the market’s primary challenge. Quick Response (QR) codes provide a robust way to combat the practice of counterfeiting products, thanks to rising trends in mobile and wireless technology. QR code Product authentication are quickly becoming the industry standard for consumer goods.

QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes. You may use a smartphone or a specific app to scan them. As a result, no additional equipment, such as a portable scanner, is required to view the connected material. QR Codes may also link to a limitless amount of material. A QR Code may be used to link a website URL, text, PDF, and other items. Another advantage of QR Codes is that you can track how often they are scanned. You may also receive the exact GPS coordinates of the QR Code’s scan site. QR Code Authentication uses a contactless card in the form of a QR code on a printed badge. By using a typical card reader, the QR code badge is scanned using the computer’s inbuilt camera

QR codes and encrypted QR codes are largely utilized for traceability in counterfeit products, security, and privacy applications, in addition to being widely employed in marketing and information transmission applications. Anti-counterfeiting QR codes protect wholesalers and customers from counterfeit and non-genuine products simply by scanning a QR code. Many web applications employ QR codes for safe login, eliminating the need for the user to remember his or her login ID and password. QR codes are used to verify the encrypted unique user ID at the server.

The importance of production authentication in trademark protection cannot be overstated. Allowing customers to check the authenticity of your goods with track and trace solutions protects your business from a loss of trust and reputation, as well as brand degradation. Furthermore, a subpar counterfeit product disguised as a real one might result in a direct loss of sales to counterfeit goods.

Pirated products’ low quality or performance might lead to an increase in dissatisfied customers and complaints, which can only harm your brand’s reputation. In the worst-case situation, a counterfeit product might be detrimental to one’s health. With the broad usage of social media, poor product evaluations may go viral across the country and even beyond borders, amplifying the negative publicity.

Anti-counterfeiting and product authentication must be founded on the following principles:

i. Open standards, which will help with transitions in the event of service provider failures, vendor lockups, and market uptake.
ii. On security by “open design,” which means that the security is intended from the bottom up to be safe and based on code and procedures that are visible to a large enough number of users, depending on the masses’ efforts to uncover and shut any security holes. This strategy is used by all of the most popular open-source apps, and it is incredibly effective.
iii. On individual customer and consumer protection, prohibiting even a single product identity repeat scenario.
iv. On the most basic level of consumer or customer education.

A product and service company’s supply chain organization is a complicated sequence of value-added services that begins with a component manufacturer and ends with the end-user consuming the product or service. Different supply choices that may exist in the form of products supplied by original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and after-market product firms add to the complexity. This increases the number of touchpoints for counterfeiting and the risk of reducing traceability in counterfeit products which is a big concern for most producers and branded goods.

Fortunately, QR Codes may be utilized to acquire a greater level of control over product traceability and counterfeiting. QR code Product authentication is provided against product counterfeiting and determines the authenticity of the product. The Counterfeit Identification Solution for Smartphones makes the end-user and the field sales representative active participants in the program to detect, track and trace counterfeit products. OEMs can print unique QR codes on their products’ labels and packaging. This QR code will include digital information about the product, such as the name, model number, manufacturing site, manufacturing date, batch, and so on. The features of the solution are:
i. Counterfeit identification – It is marked as ‘QR registered’ when a consumer sends an SMS to a specific number to verify the validity of a product. If several SMS for the same QR code is received from a different place at a later time, it can be assumed that a counterfeit is in circulation. Because it alerts the corporation that mass copies of the same QR code have been circulated, this is counterfeit identification and works as a track and trace solution.
ii. Counterfeit tracking – Once the company receives many instances of the same QR code, it can attempt to contact the customer or sales representative for that area to further investigate the repeated ‘same label’ counterfeits. This will assist you to get closer to the counterfeiter’s source. This counterfeit tracking helps increase traceability in counterfeit products.
iii. Counterfeit control – Retailers will be careful of selling counterfeit once word gets out about the uniqueness of QR code labeling and customer registration. Because retailers have little control over end customers contacting the company, they will be wary of stocking counterfeit products. This will stifle counterfeit distribution and make QR code-enabled product trading unprofitable.

Physical anti-counterfeiting technology, technology of traceability in counterfeit products, digital technology, and holographic technology are all part of effective QR code technology. The most notable aspect of QR codes is the low reliance on specialized equipment, and the low cost, which is now second-dimensional code is still one of the key reasons for market share, and the present QR code is essentially an open-source algorithm that is easy to copy.

While companies are doing their best to combat counterfeiting, technology is available to help take this a step further and make it more difficult for counterfeiters to thrive in the market. The QR code’s distinctiveness is well-known, and it serves as a powerful barrier to counterfeiting. This track and trace solution not only engages the client but also sends a strong statement from the company that it is doing everything possible to combat counterfeit goods and is employing technology to do so. This will aid in the ongoing strengthening of the brand image in the eyes of customers.

MSRvantage Track and Trace solutions offer comprehensive and dependable methods for enhancing security and providing end-to-end visibility across trading partners. By authenticating, monitoring, and managing the flow of products along the supply chain, a track and trace solution can assist safeguard against counterfeiting and falsification of products. Serial numbers can be traced at numerous points across the supply chain, making it easier to spot where counterfeit goods have entered the system and allowing for complete traceability.

Track and Trace solutions use the immense power of distributed ledger technology to provide a secure environment for data exchange and workflow. It allows you to locate all products in their current and previous places. Serialization techniques aid in the detection of counterfeits and the protection of legitimate brands. Customers are increasingly more interested in safe and traceable products, which might assist to generate a competitive advantage. Build brand trust, loyalty, and confidence with a QR code product authentication solution and increase sales by reducing counterfeiting.

Incorporating track and trace technology into manufacturing processes is becoming more common. They can exchange track and trace information with their customers. Customers will gain trust as a result of this, and they will be able to check the product’s validity. MSRvantage Track & Trace solutions can be relied on by industries and organisations in a variety of sectors for speed, transparency, traceability, efficiency, and accuracy.