Anti-Counterfeit Solution | Cypheme

Everything You Need to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn how Cypheme's AI-powered authentication technology protects brands against counterfeiting, integrates with existing operations, and delivers trusted verification at global scale.

What is Noise Print technology, and why can't counterfeiters copy it?

Noise Print is Cypheme's patent-protected AI authentication technology.

During printing or manufacturing, every surface (paper, fabric, plastic, metal) produces microscopic, random physical imperfections unique to that individual item. Cypheme's AI captures and cryptographically encodes this fingerprint at the point of production.

Because the pattern is an inherent property of the physical material itself, it cannot be pre-planned, reproduced, or digitally faked, even with industrial printing equipment. Copying a Noise Print would require recreating identical microscopic chaos at the exact same location on the exact same substrate. This is not technically achievable.

Each product therefore carries an identity that is both intrinsic (embedded in the object) and AI-verifiable, confirmed in under 5 seconds via any smartphone camera.

How large is the global counterfeiting problem, and why should my brand act now?

The scale is staggering and accelerating faster than the legitimate economy.

Global trade in counterfeit goods was valued at USD 467 billion in 2021, up to 2.3% of all global imports. EU imports of fake goods alone reached USD 117 billion, or 4.7% of all EU imports. In 2024, EU enforcement authorities seized over 112 million counterfeit items with an estimated retail value of EUR 3.8 billion, the highest figure ever recorded.

The market is projected to reach USD 1.79 trillion by 2030, growing 3.6 times faster than the legitimate global economy. Every year a brand delays, counterfeiters grow more capable and the cost of inaction compounds.

Source: OECD / EUIPO, Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025 · European Commission / EUIPO IPR Enforcement Report 2025 · Corsearch, May 2024

Is a QR code or hologram on my packaging already enough protection?

No, and the international standard confirms it.

ISO 12931, the only international standard for anti-counterfeiting performance criteria, explicitly states that track-and-trace solutions alone, including serialised QR codes, are not authentication. A QR code can be photographed and reprinted on any fake product in seconds. Holograms are now routinely replicated with standard industrial printing equipment.

Effective authentication must verify a physical property of the product itself, not just a number printed on it. Cypheme's Noise Print does exactly that.

Source: ISO 12931:2012, International Organization for Standardization

What is ISO 12931, and why does Cypheme's qualification matter?

ISO 12931 is the only international standard defining performance criteria for authentication solutions used to combat counterfeiting.

Published by the International Organization for Standardization, it provides brands and governments with an objective, technology-neutral framework for evaluating anti-counterfeiting tools, free from supplier bias. It defines what a solution must achieve, not how it must work.

Cypheme is the only solution in the world to have been independently qualified against ISO 12931. When governments, regulated industries, or legal teams require documented proof that your authentication system meets international standards, Cypheme provides that evidence out of the box, with no additional audits required.

Source: ISO 12931:2012, International Organization for Standardization

Does authentication require a dedicated app, special hardware, or internet connection?

No dedicated app and no special hardware. An internet connection is required to run the authentication.

End customers verify via a standard web browser on any smartphone, with no app download and no account creation. The authentication algorithm runs in the cloud and returns a result in under 5 seconds.

Inspectors and field teams use a lightweight verification interface available in multiple languages.

Your production line requires no new hardware. Cypheme's labels, tags, or direct-print solutions integrate with existing packaging processes.

ISO 12931 confirms that a standard smartphone is technically equivalent to a dedicated off-the-shelf authentication device.

Source: ISO 12931:2012, International Organization for Standardization

Which industries does Cypheme protect, and is it right for my product?

If it can be printed on, labelled, tagged, or packaged, Cypheme can protect it.

Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices: The WHO estimates 1 in 10 medical products in low and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified, causing an estimated 1 million deaths annually.

Luxury Goods and Watches: Seamless consumer-facing verification that adds brand value rather than friction.

Electronics and Industrial Components: Component-level authentication for aviation, automotive, and semiconductor supply chains.

Fashion, Sportswear and Textiles: Counterfeiting costs the EU clothing sector approximately EUR 12 billion per year, equal to 5.2% of total EU clothing sales.

Government Documents and Tax Stamps: Field authentication by inspectors using standard smartphones.

Toys and Children's Products: Counterfeit toys pose direct safety risks. Products posing health and safety risks represent 15% of counterfeit articles seized at EU external borders.

Food, Cosmetics and Consumer Goods: Brand and safety protection at mass-market scale.

Source: WHO, Substandard and Falsified Medical Products · EUIPO, Economic Impact of Counterfeiting in Clothing, Cosmetics and Toys, 2024 · EUIPO Threat Assessment of IP Crime, 2022

Can counterfeiters defeat Cypheme by scanning a genuine product and reproducing the result?

This is the right question to ask, and the answer is no, for three compounding reasons.
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The Noise Print is physical, not digital. Printing or reproducing a photo of the label does not recreate the microscopic physical substrate. The copy fails AI verification immediately.
Each Noise Print is tied to a single registered item. Cypheme's cloud model flags any scan of the same identifier from a different physical object. Duplicate attempts are detected and logged automatically.
Every scan is geo-tagged and timestamped. Anomalous patterns, such as the same product being scanned simultaneously in two countries, trigger automatic alerts in the brand dashboard.

The security architecture is multi-layered by design: defeating one layer exposes the attacker to the next.

What data does Cypheme collect, and is it GDPR compliant?

Cypheme is subject to GDPR by legal jurisdiction, headquartered in Paris, France, and bound by EU law, not just internal policy.

When a consumer scans a product, Cypheme records the authentication event: time, geolocation if permitted, and result. No personal identity data is collected and no user account is required.

Brand clients access aggregated, anonymised geo-location data through the Cypheme Dashboard, revealing where products are being scanned and where counterfeit activity clusters, without compromising individual privacy.

Data is stored on EU infrastructure. Full Data Processing Agreements are available for enterprise clients.If it can be printed on, labelled, tagged, or packaged, Cypheme can protection at mass-market scale.

Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

How long does deployment take, and what IT integration is required?

Deployment typically takes a minimum of 2 months.

Cypheme's labels and tags integrate directly with existing packaging and production lines, with no printer replacement, no new hardware, and no ERP integration required.

For brands wanting deeper integration including API access, dashboard analytics, and serialised track-and-trace, Cypheme offers a documented REST API and geo-location dashboard accessible from day one.

Your IT team's involvement can range from zero for label-only deployment to light-touch for API integration.

Cypheme's team handles onboarding end to end.

Cypheme is Paris-based. Does that limit support in my region?

Not at all. Cypheme is active in over 200 countries.

Being Paris-based since 2015 and co-funded by EU Horizon 2020 means Cypheme operates to European standards of engineering rigour, data protection, and regulatory compliance, which is a competitive advantage, not a limitation.

Enterprise clients receive dedicated account management regardless of geography. Verification interfaces are available in multiple languages. Government and large-volume deployments in Africa, Asia, and the Americas are already active.

Source: European Commission, Horizon 2020 programme (cordis.europa.eu)

Still Have Questions?

Recover Your Revenue.
Stop Counterfeits.

Counterfeiting Is Costing You More Than You Think.

Genuine or Counterfeit.
‍In 5 seconds

Impossible to replicate

Any smartphone, no app, no hardware

Geo-locate every counterfeit in real time

Every Product, Every Sector

Pharmaceuticals

Luxury Goods

Fashion and Apparel

Electronics

Consumer Goods

Government and Documents

Toys and Children's Products

Textiles and Technical Fabrics

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Make Your Products Impossible to Fake?

Recover Your Revenue.Stop Counterfeits.

Counterfeiting Is Costing You More Than You Think.

Genuine or Counterfeit. ‍In 5 seconds

Impossible to replicate

Any smartphone, no app, no hardware

Geo-locate every counterfeit in real time

Every Product, Every Sector

Pharmaceuticals

Luxury Goods

Fashion and Apparel

Electronics

Consumer Goods

Government and Documents

Toys and Children's Products

Textiles and Technical Fabrics

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Make Your Products Impossible to Fake?

Recover Your Revenue.
Stop Counterfeits.

Genuine or Counterfeit.
‍In 5 seconds