Seiko Epson Corporation

Masataka Kamijo

Akio Owatari

Hiroto Nakamura

Yasuko Hirano

An object is to provide a recorded article or sticker whereby counterfeited articles and genuine articles can be visually distinguished in simple fashion in the market and wherein it is not possible to identify in the market the location and type of the anti-counterfeiting measures that have been taken. Both an overt region(which can be recognized visually in the market) are printing using a color-change ink or liquid-crystal ink, for example, and a covert regionformed by for example optical retro-reflective printing (which cannot be recognized without using a special tool) are provided on the surface of the same recording medium. The overt regionand the covert regionmay be arranged at different locations or may overlap, or may be positionally aligned. The overt letter/design pattern and the covert letter/design pattern may be the same or different. An overt recording that is printed using liquid-crystal ink may also function as a covert recording by employing a genuineness inspection method using a circularly polarized plate. A sticker may be provided with one or a plurality of cuts such that the sticker is broken when peeled off, so that it cannot be re-used.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano-ken, Japan

Masataka Kamijo