Multimedia Security 2

2Protecting Documents Using Printed Anticopy Elements

Iuliia TKACHENKO¹, Alain TREMEAU² and Thierry FOURNEL²

¹LIRIS, Université Lumière Lyon 2, CNRS, France

²LaHC, University of Lyon, University of Saint-Étienne, CNRS, France

The fight against counterfeiting of printed documents, such as identity documents or packaging, is more relevant than ever. The availability of increasingly efficient printing devices has contributed to an increase in the number of counterfeit documents being produced each year. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of the different approaches to document authentication, before focusing on the different approaches to protection using elements sensitive to the variability inherent in copying systems. A range of state-of-the-art copying solutions, including protection elements and the associated authentication processes, will be presented.

2.1. Introduction

Printed documents form an integral part of our daily lives, whether as packaging on manufactured products such as medicines or, more generally, in the form of printed papers, the origin and contents of which are often indicated by the issuer by means of distinctive design elements. Examples include official documents such as passports, tax stamps, notarial deeds, certificates and show tickets. Individualization gives meaning to the notion of an authentic copy which, in legal terms, means a physical copy with the same probative force as an original.

Improvements in the performance and availability ...