"Existing methods of detecting counterfeit products are clearly not working, so the hunt is on for new ways to beat the fakers. The solution that most companies favour is radical: log a unique physical fingerprint for every single item that comes off a production line, whether it's a fridge or a packet of cigarettes. The downside for consumers is that everything from a pair of shoes to a packet of biscuits could be traced and linked to its owner....
The technology could also hand companies an unprecedented degree of control over electronic devices such as DVD and MP3 players. Yet when you realise the lives of consumers are potentially at risk from fake aircraft parts, medicines.... a loss of privacy may seem easier to swallow."
New Scientist(sub required)
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