WO1999001357A1

WO1999001357A1 - Device applicable to a commercial product to control the origin of the product

Info

Publication number: WO1999001357A1
Application number: PCT/EP1998/000525
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alberto Lucarelli
Original assignee: Istituto Finanziario Di Sviluppo Immobiliare S.P.A.
Priority date: 1997-07-04
Filing date: 1998-01-22
Publication date: 1999-01-14
Also published as: AU6098498A; ITMI971586A0; ITMI971586A1

Abstract

There is disclosed a device applicable to a commercial product to control the origin of the product. The device consists of a sealed envelope (1) attached to the product in a separable way and containing therein a pre-established code (6) assigned to that product by the producer. A front face (7) of the envelope bearing the producer or the main distributor name and address (8) and a back face (11) of the envelope bearing a space (13) for the name and address of the consumer and a space (12) for an identification stamp or pre-printed inscription of the final retailer.

Description

"Device applicable to a commercial product to control the origin of the product."

DESCRIPTION The present invention deals with a device applicable to a commercial product to control the origin of the product, and this as a guarantee to the consumer and to the producer.

It is known the extreme difficulty in discerning between a really original commercial product and an imitation or one that is anyhow marketed without any authorisation from the legitimate producer. This is true especially for best brand products (so called "griffe"), that obviously draw the attention of those who want to make them object of illicit trade in a particular way.

In view of this disagreeable situation, object of the present invention has been to conceive a device to be applied to the marketed product so as to guarantee to the consumer the purchase of a product that is truly original, recognised to be as such by the producer.

According to the invention such object has been attained by means of a device characterized in that it consists of a sealed envelope attached to the product in a separable way and containing therein a support for a fixed code assigned in advanced to that product by the producer, a front face of the envelope bearing the producer or the main distributor name and address and a back face of the envelope bearing a blank space for the name and address of the consumer and a space for an identification stamp or pre-printed inscription of the final retailer.

In this way the consumer entering a shop to purchase a particular brand product can verify in the first instance that the device according to the invention is attached to the product in question, that is in substance an envelope having the above described features. After having made the purchase, the consumer detaches the envelope from the product, for example availing of a weakening line between the envelope itself and a band permanently fixed to the product. He asks the retailer to set the retailer's stamp in the space devoted to it (if not pre- marked), writes his name and address in the relative space on the back of the envelope (the sender's), attaches the postage stamp if required (but preferably it will consist of a prepaid postage envelope) and lastly posts the envelope in a regular post-box.

The producer receives the envelope still sealed, opens it and verifies that there is the code that he inserted in the envelope and entered in the registers since the very origin, that is at the end of the production phase. If the code reported corresponds to the original one, everything is fine and the producer can discharge the code from the stock-books and confirm the consumer the originality of the purchased product by post. Otherwise, the producer finds a code counterfeit and at the same time he comes to know the retailer name; he will therefore be able to inform the consumer that he purchased an imitation product and at the same time he can file a legal action against the retailer.

Obviously this is based on the consumer's good will, that is to say on the capacity of the producer concern to induce customers to fulfil a simple deed as it is to fill up and to send the sealed envelope. On the other side the consumer acts as driven by the advantage he can draw from this, that is the certification of the product being purchased. The consumer is therefore educated to operate with the conviction that the required deed (sending the envelope) is in tutelage of the purchase being made. This seems to be the strength point of the protection system provided by the device according to the invention, that is to lead the consumer to be willing to make the required deed.

In addition to the above described main advantage some other non- secondary results are thus obtained: - the unified codification of the pieces will also determine the impossibility to reintroduce in the market possibly stolen goods , because the dishonest retailer will be dissuaded also for the implications deriving from having to demonstrate at least the "cautious purchase", not to mention the suspicion of receiving stolen goods; - with elementary modifications to the back face of the sealed envelope, comprising additional personal data of the consumer, it will be possible to identify the product target, or the type of consumer the product is addressed to, a type of research that is known to be particularly useful though too costly for most firms; - the system will not require to be advertised as a product accessory, but it will represent itself a promotional message; subsequently, when a larger diffusion of the system among the producers is attained, to mention the use of a system like the "Golden Security" will create an association of the product with an image of the firm reliability and total quality. The features of the present invention will be rendered more evident by the following detailed description of embodiments of the device according to the invention, illustrated as non-restrictive examples in the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows the front face of a sealed envelope according to the invention, originally provided with a feather for fixing to the product which it is addressed to;

Figure 2 shows the back face of said envelope; Figure 3 shows a ticket for bearing the product code, that is contained inside said envelope; Figure 4 shows the sealed envelope with the code bearing ticket inserted therein, in section along line IV-IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 shows the front face of another embodiment of the sealed envelope according to the invention,

Figure 6 shows the back face of the envelope of Figure 5; Figure 7 shows the internal side of the front face of the sealed envelope of Figures 5 and 6;

Figure 8 shows the internal side of the back face of the sealed envelope of Figures 5 and 6;

Figure 9 shows the same sealed envelope as sectioned along line IX-IX of Figure 5;

Figure 10 shows the same sealed envelope as sectioned along line X-X of Figure 5.

The device illustrated in Figures 1-4 consists of an envelope 1, sealed on four edges 2, that is attached along the tear line 3 to a fixing feather 4 destined to be permanently fixed by the producer to a product addressed to sale.

Inside the envelope 1, always on behalf of the producer, a support ticket 5 (Figure 3 and 4) has been inserted, whether paper or plastic or textile material and so on, for a code 6 (numerical, alphabetical, bar, etc.) that the producer has set as to identify the matriculation number of the product in question.

The front face 7 of the envelope 1 (Fig. 1) bears the name and address 8 of the producer or main distributor, which represents the envelope addressee, a possible advertising logotype 9 and a zone for postage or pre-paid postage stamp 10.

The back face 11 of the envelope 1 (Fig. 2) also contains a space 12 to place a stamp or pre-printed inscription for the identification of the final retailer and a space 13 for the insertion of the consumer's name and address, which represents the envelope sender. Differently from the device of Figures 1-4, the device of Figures 5-10 is not provided with a code support ticket inserted in the sealed envelope 1 and the code 6 is printed on the internal side 14 of the front face 7 of the envelope. This allows a considerable reduction of the production cost of the device according to the invention. Moreover, while no fixing feather 4 is present, a lateral appendix 15 is attached to the sealed envelope 1 along a tear line 16 and in turn contains a reproduction 17 of the code 6 printed on an internal face thereof. The appendix 15 is to be cut away by the final consumer and retained by him before delivering the envelope in order to obviate the disadvantage of a possible loss of the envelope by the mail service.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Device applicable to a commercial product to control the origin of the product itself, characterized in that it consists of a sealed envelope (1) attached to the product in a separable way and containing therein a pre- established code (6) assigned to that product by the producer, a front face (7) of the envelope bearing the producer or the main distributor name and address (8) and a back face (11) of the envelope bearing a space (13) for the name and address of the consumer and a space (12) for an identification stamp or pre-printed inscription of the final retailer.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front face (7) of the envelope also comprises a space (10) for postage or pre-paid postage stamp.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front face (7) of the envelope also comprises a space (9) for a possible advertising logotype.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said envelope (1) is attached along a tear line (3) to a fixing feather (4) destined to be permanently attached to the product.

5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the code (6) is printed on a code support ticket (5) inserted inside the sealed envelope.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the code (6) is printed on an internal face (14) of the sealed envelope (1).

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that a lateral appendix (15) containing a printed reproduction (17) of the code (6) is attached to the sealed envelope (1) along a tear line (16).