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System for Verification of Purchase & Product Legality
Available Post Auction Inventory
| ID | AUC 019 |
| Seller | Barcode Security Systems Inc. |
| Sector | Retail |
| Assets | 1 - US Patent |
| US Patents | 7,108,183 |
Lot Summary
This patent portfolio discloses techniques for verifying the legitimate purchase of a retail item. In retail, video surveillance and electronic security systems are typically used for preventing shoplifting in venues such as stores, shopping malls, warehouse outlets, etc. However, these techniques do not sufficiently protect the retailer from secondary shoplifting such as returning a shoplifted or purchased item to another store for cash refund. Placing store labels on products can be an option, however consumers may hesitate in purchasing gift items that carry excessive printing. Also, additional labels increase retailers’ expenses due to extra materials and system maintenance and are not easily implemented in big ticket items. Retailers, pharmaceutical companies, and in general sellers of small and big ticket items, could benefit from better techniques for brand protection (i.e. to avoid counterfeiting), and for prevention of fraudulent refunds or exchanges on returned retail merchandise.
Value Proposition: This patent portfolio discloses a technique for verifying the legitimate purchase of a retail item. At the point of purchase, an encoding device writes or otherwise provides unique machine-readable markings on the label (e.g., a barcode or an RFID tag). When a customer returns the item for refund or exchange, a detecting device/reader analyzes the label for the presence of the unique markings (which, for added security, could be invisible to the human eye). Presence of these unique markings can provide the retailer with important information such as whether the item was validly purchased, whether or not the item is eligible for a refund or exchange, purchase location, date and time of purchase, method of payment, etc. Further, all this information can be obtained without the requirement of a customer provided receipt. The disclosed technique can be implemented in POS devices to provide brand and fraud protection in multiple industries including pharmaceutical, retail, electronic, automotive and aerospace.
Sample Forward Citation Analysis:
Hewlett-Packard
IBM
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Due Diligence
| Patent Number | File History | Chain of Title |
|---|---|---|
| 7,108,183 |  fh7108183.pdf |