Bowater Holographics Limited

An innovative, analogue solution for the growing problems of counterfeiting and identity fraud among others

THE SEAL OF AUTHENTICITY

The very nature of the BowaterHologram™ (full colour, three dimensional, volume reflection hologram) makes it exceptionally difficult to capture using any kind of image capturing technology:

As you can see from the images in this presentation photographing them is hard enough, let alone any other kind of copying.

If you scan one the image appears as a flat grey blob with no image detail as the image shows.

If you try and photocopy it won’t work.

Technically this is because the camera can’t find a point to focus on. As a result the images of the BowaterHologram™ in this presentation are by their very nature not ultra high definition.

Then again would you really want a hologram that is being used to protect your brand to be that easy to copy?

For marketing purposes, we can provide a range of high definition images that you can use as you choose.

A Note on ImagesPhotograph of a scan of a BowaterHologram™ using a OPNO�KLÄUP[PVU�JVSV\Y�ZJHUULY

Up till now much of product security has relied on some form of surface effect that is applied to a material: -

Inks applied to the surface of a paper, card or more recently plastic material.

Holograms or other effects embossed into the surface of a material – usually a metallic foil.

Holograms or other effects ‘hot stamped’ into a plastic material

Unfortunately the technologies used to copy and reproduce these types of security measure are widely available, so counterfeiters also have access to them.

The net result is simply this - If it is printed, stamped or embossed, it will be counterfeited to a high standard and quickly – normally in weeks.

This does not mean that visual authentication is bad. It is still by far the best way for anyone from a consumer to a customs official to quickly and easily check the authenticity of a product.

Image – a sheet of counterfeit VISA Dove embossed holograms purchased online. The

quality is very high quality and would fool experts as well as consumers

Surface Effects Don’t Work

What About Digital Measures?In our modern digital world, the assumption is that practically every problem can be solved using a high tech, computerised solution.

However, when we spoke to some ethical hackers they told us, If its online or digital it can be hacked and exploited by criminals – often very quickly.

The list of incidents below illustrates what we mean:

Ebay attacks – May 2014

Heartbleed virus – April 2014

ATM Hacking – March 2014

Bitcoin exchange hacked – February 2014

Snapchat hacked – January 2014

In the first 14 days of January 2014 there were 34 major digital security breaches reported globally.

Having said all of that, digital tools can and do make a significant contribution to the effectiveness of an anti counterfeit solution. That is why we have integrated them directly into the BowaterHolotronic® Seal and our Speak No Evil™ programme.

So what will work then?

Lets start with an outline.

It needs to work everywhere and for everyone. So a visual device of some kind embedded in the product or packaging is best. However, it must be easy to use and require nothing other than light to be able to use it.

It should be able to integrate several layers of security covering everything from covert optical to digital measures in order to make it more complex for counterfeiters.

It must be adaptable to enable brands to change it regularly in order to stay ahead of the counterfeiters – moving targets are always harder to hit.

It will have to undergo continuous development by the vendor to ensure that it remains ahead of the counterfeiters’ technical ability to copy it.

It must make it much easier for enforcement professionals to spot counterfeits and seize them.

A very simple demonstration of one holographic effect that can be embedded in the BowaterHologram™ that leaves it clear when viewed directly ahead, but displays a complex full colour image or images at different angles.

(images taken with a camera phone under low energy lighting)

The Bowater Approach is Different

Our Chief Technology Officer has been working in holography since the 80s and worked on some of the most famous anti counterfeit holograms including the VISA Dove.

Ten years ago he recognised that in order for the hologram to remain effective as an anti counterfeit measure a new approach would be required:

The underlying technology would have to be completely different.

The processes and equipment used to produce holograms would have to be kept secret permanently.

The technology would have to be constantly improved and developed to stay ahead of the counterfeiters.

It would have to support integration with other physical and digital measures in order to make life even harder for the counterfeiters

We agreed and added one final point. The company would have to stand apart in the market by promising only what it can deliver and then delivering it.

How the BowaterHologram™ worksUnlike traditional embossed or hot stamped holograms, the BowaterHologram™ does not rely on a surface effect that can be copied easily.

The BowaterHologram™ uses an entirely different set of technologies and processes that are only commercially available through Bowater Holographics Limited.

Each hologram is written to a fully patented photopolymer by a number of lasers to include:

A full three dimensional image of the objects in the hologram

Rich, full colour

Any of the optical effects specified to be included in the hologram design

Any covert optical measures designed into the hologram

Any enumeration or serial numbering required

The result is an image that is encapsulated within the photopolymer, making it significantly more difficult for counterfeiters to begin the process of reverse engineering the technology, let alone the images or optical effects.

Photograph of a roll of the BowaterHologram™ as it comes out of the reproduction machine

(Note: You can see the transition from the image of the Queen to the Image of Winston Churchill

embedded in the hologram.)

Black Box

One of the things that has effectively nullified surface effects as a security measure is the wide availability of the technology used to create and reproduce them.

At Bowater Holographics our approach is entirely different:

We will not license the technology or processes

We will not sell origination and reproduction equipment.

The technology itself is not commercially available – we even design and manufacture our own mastering and reproduction equipment in house.

To borrow a term from the IT world, we have deliberately set our business up as a black box – orders come in at one end and finished product goes out the other, but as to how it all works - that is a secret.

After consulting with potential customers, this approach is the only one that will ensure the technology remains secure and therefore usable as an effective long term anti counterfeit measure.

In order to ensure that the Bowater range of products are always two or more steps ahead of the counterfeiters, we have made two key strategic decisions.

Firstly, we plan to launch at least two significant new enhancements annually. These enhancements will cover everything from new optical effects through to covert measures that may involve light wavelength specific filtering.

Secondly, we have deliberately designed the products so that they can be integrated with other security and anti counterfeit measures. This enables us to create layers of security that make the counterfeiters’ job more difficult.

We will also ‘retire’ products and effects as and when they become outdated.

We know that this approach helps to keep brands and products protected by the BowaterHologram™ beyond the reach of counterfeiters.

Innovation and Integration

So Simple, But so Difficult

The simplest and most basic holographic effect is illustrated in the sequence of images on the right.

For the user it is as simple as:

Viewing the hologram the ‘right way up’ where it will be bright and clear.

If the holographic images disappears as the hologram is rotated through 90 degrees then the hologram is genuine.

For a user of any kind the process takes moments and requires little in the way of education.

More importantly this visual effect can only be achieved within a volume reflection hologram, making it exceptionally easy to identify genuine product. At the same time it means that counterfeiters will not be able to copy it easily, if at all

(As a side note, we took these images using an iPhone under low energy lighting to demonstrate that even if you ask a user to send photos of the hologram as a secondary authentication, you will still be able to see whether it behaves as designed.)

This is a type of BowaterHologram™ that enables different images to be embedded in a hologram that in effect turns a hologram into a ‘movie screen’

As the images below show, this enables a brand to embed up to 30 frames in a hologram that when moved enables the viewer to watch a brief ‘movie’ as the frames below taken from a hologram of a rugby player kicking a ball show.

The hologram is viewed by tilting the hologram backwards or forwards to enable the viewer to see the action.

BowaterHologram™ Kinetic

The final thing we want to note, is that Bowater Holographics Limited cannot stop counterfeiting attempts, but then our competitors can’t either and neither can the authorities.

What we can do is help brands make themselves unattractive to counterfeiters and criminals.

We work with you to create a product and brand protection programme that makes it extremely expensive and technically challenging for counterfeiters to copy your products and pass them off as genuine with any credibility.

This will not stop the counterfeiter, but if it is executed properly, it should make your brand and products so unattractive to the counterfeiter that they divert their attention to focus on other brands and products that are less well protected – namely those that are cheaper and easier to counterfeit.

It is this approach, combined with an exceptionally strong and secret technology, that enables us to put brands beyond the reach of counterfeiters – permanently.

We Can’t Stop Anyone Trying

We have harnessed over 30 years of research, development and expertise in holography, security and marketing, to develop a range of products that deliver a quantum change in the way that brands can protect their products against counterfeit.

The technology we have developed in the BowaterHologram™ is unique and delivers two key things that we targeted:

An engaging, easy to use piece of visual magic that enables users to easily and instantly authenticate a product.

A technology that is so complex and well protected that it makes counterfeiting it too difficult and costly for fraudsters to even try.

We have achieved this, but we are not resting on our laurels. We are continuing to develop and enhance the technology to ensure that we are always several generations ahead of the counterfeiters.

Bowater Holographics Limited Counterfeiting is used to fund terrorism,and

major crimes such as human trafficking.

It is not a victimless crime and our mission is to do everything we can to stamp it out.

Bowater Holographics Limited1 Canada Square - 37th FloorCanary Wharf, London E14 5AAUnited Kingdom

Examples of the BowaterHologram™ showing its full colour, three dimensional volume reflection holographic properties

T +44 (0)20 7718 0229E info@bowater.coW www.bowater.co

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