Physical object identity means a product, label, credential, or asset can be verified as the authorized physical instance. The Verimark Identity Shield turns a visual marker into a controlled verification event, resolving trust through the system, not the image.

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.

A copied QR code can still scan, redirect, and appear valid. That is the problem. When a QR code is used as proof of authenticity, copying the image can preserve the trust signal without proving the physical object is real.

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.