METHOD FOR AUTHENTICATING AND TRACING BOXES AND PACKAGES OF HAVANA CIGARS

摘要

The object of the present invention is to allow differentiation between authentic and counterfeit boxes of Havana cigars and also to track their journey in order to control and - as appropriate - to eradicate the so-called parallel market therein, and at the same time to address possible quality-control claims. For this purpose, it is proposed that certain differentiating attributes that unequivocally identify the genuine boxes and also despatch data be captured electronically at the time of packaging thereof. A process of encoding, encrypting and graphically printing (unintelligibly) said information on the actual box will enable it to be identified at any point by means of the simple use of an optoelectronic reader provided with the corresponding derandomization algorithms. This will solve the serious problem of the counterfeiting of boxes of Havana cigars and also the problem of how to monitor distribution thereof and possible claims.