Holography: Securing Victory in the Battle to Protect IP

Dr Mark Deakes, chair of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), says holography is crucial in protecting intellectual property (IP) rights in the modern era.

Holograms are increasingly used to safeguard brand names and logos from counterfeiters, ensuring the authenticity of products from top brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, McDonald’s, Louis Vuitton, and Visa.

Dr Deakes said, ‘the most obvious owners of intellectual property rights are so-called brand owners, who own the brand names which appear on many traded goods familiar to consumers worldwide. The better known the name, the more valuable the brand and hence the IP associated with that brand’.

The value of a brand lies in the number of goods sold bearing its name, making it a target for counterfeiters. These unauthorised manufacturers produce goods that appear legitimate by printing the brand name on them. For example, Apple’s brand recognition is tied to its logo, an apple with a bite taken out of it, registered along with the written name of the IP owner.