Brand protection authentication cannot depend on labels alone. QR codes, holograms, and serial numbers can support visibility, but they do not prove that the physical product is authentic. Brands need identity resolution, not another copyable trust signal.

Cloned codes create misleading success. The scan works, the page opens, and the record appears, but the physical product may still be counterfeit. Brand protection requires identity resolution, not readable references.

Organizations use a wide range of technologies to protect products from counterfeiting, diversion, and fraud. From QR codes and RFID chips to holograms and covert forensic markers, each approach offers different trade-offs in security, cost, and operational complexity. This guide compares the most widely used anti-counterfeiting technologies and explains how authentication systems detect duplication and verify identity.