Until now, infrared-based security has faced a drawback, in that once a pattern is printed or encoded, it cannot be changed. Most systems are static, meaning the same hidden pattern is locked in at the point of manufacture, limiting the complexity and adaptability of the protection.

Hong Kong Customs has started a three-month pilot scheme under its new duty stamp system to tackle illicit tobacco sales and ensure tax compliance.

Septillion Technologies, based in Scotland, has secured funding from Scottish Enterprise (SE) – the country’s economic development agency – to advance blockchain-enabled traceability in the electronics manufacturing industry.

After three decades as a leading source of information for the authentication industry, Authentication & Brand News™ (ABN) is entering a new chapter. Starting in October 2025, ABN will merge with its sister publication, Tax Stamp & Traceability News™ (TSTN), to form a single, expanded publication: Tax Stamp & Authentication News™ (TSAN).

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) has announced a budget of KRW 7.248 billion ($5.2 million) for 2026, representing a 2.7% increase from the current year.

The pharmaceutical industry continues to evolve, adopting new technologies and optimising resources to meet authentication and anticounterfeiting challenges.

Warsaw, Poland, played host to the Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) 2025 conference from 15-17 September. The event confirmed once again that ODDS is the world’s leading forum (some would argue only forum) for the science and technology of secure documents.

Global agribusiness leader Bunge has strengthened its partnership with Bangkok Produce Merchandising (BKP), a subsidiary of Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), to improve soya traceability from Brazil. This initiative represents a significant step toward creating more transparent, responsible, and sustainable agricultural supply chains in Southeast Asia.

US startup MarqVision has completed a $48 million second-round financing that will be used to roll out its AI-based engine for detecting and removing counterfeit and pirated goods across online platforms.

Guinea-Bissau has enacted a national mandate for pharmaceutical traceability, establishing a regulatory system that requires the tracking and authentication of every medicine throughout the supply chain.

In 2019, we decided to expand the scope of Tax Stamp News™ (as it was called back then) into the traceability realm, in order to reflect the fact that national tax stamp programmes were becoming increasingly integrated into production monitoring and track and trace systems.

At the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) webinar held on 24 September – with 24 revenue/customs authorities in attendance – guest speaker Dr Hana Ross from the University of Cape Town and Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies examined the prerequisites for achieving track and trace success on excisable products, referring to real-world cases of successful and failed systems.

Illicit trade in tobacco and vapor products has become a critical challenge facing policymakers, regulators, revenue authorities, and law enforcement. Once seen as a secondary issue compared to narcotics or counterfeit pharmaceuticals, illicit tobacco is now a clear and present threat for many countries across the globe.

According to Tobacco Reporter, Indonesia’s government is conducting an in-depth review of its cigarette excise system following allegations of forgery and manipulation, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto.

A Lithuanian man has been arrested for trying to smuggle more than one million cigarettes into Poland after a road accident exposed the contraband concealed in his van.

Abu Dhabi-listed e7 Group, a security printer and identity solution provider, has entered into a strategic partnership with 7I Holding, a UAE-based government technology firm and regional affiliate of SICPA, to expand global reach in secure and sovereign applications, including national revenue optimisation.

In September, technical experts from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Secretariat engaged with Chad government officials, parliamentarians, civil society organisations and other national stakeholders in a joint needs assessment to support the country’s implementation of the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which it has been party to since 2018.

Crane Authentication – a Crane NXT business unit – has unveiled its latest innovation in overt security: PROFOUND® TruSpectrum™, which extends the colour palette of its micro-optic labels to match the spectrum of colours integral to a brand’s visual identity.

US startup MarqVision has completed a $48 million second-round financing that will be used to roll out its AI-based engine for detecting and removing counterfeit and pirated goods across online platforms.

The Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA), in partnership with Accenture, has released its first-ever industry report, ‘Indian Traceability & Authentication Industry Study’, which projects the sector will grow at a CAGR of 11.3% to reach £1.3 billion by 2028-29.