Aficionados of Montblanc luxury goods will soon be able to ensure the authenticity of their pieces.
Montblanc-Simplo GMBH, parent of the Montblanc brand, has signed a five-year agreement with Applied DNA Sciences Inc., a specialist in DNA-based product authenticity and traceability solutions, to provide unique SigNature DNA marks for individual Montblanc clients.
The companies said the agreement came about after a rigorous 18-month product development and qualification program between Applied DNA and Montblanc for SigNature DNA with Beacon to create a range of specialty inks for use in the high-end range of Montblanc writing instruments. The SigNature DNA molecular tag provides the forensic evidence for traceability, while Beacon is a covert screening feature of the SigNature DNA molecular tag that fluoresces only with complementary decryption.
Under the terms of the deal, Applied DNA will supply a minimum number of its Signature DNA marks combined with Beacon for use by Montblanc clients on a two-year exclusive basis.
“We had a shared vision with Montblanc that our SigNature DNA with Beacon could be supplied to Montblanc clients who may wish to forensically prove a document had been signed using a personally unique molecular tag,” Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA, said. “We are pleased to announce this has been achieved and will soon be made available by Montblanc, initially to an exclusive list of their clients.”
Based in Hamburg, Germany, Montblanc is renowned for its high quality and fashionable writing instruments, timepieces and leather goods.
Applied DNA, headquartered in Stony Brook, N.Y., is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology and product genotyping for a range of industries and services, including textiles and leather goods.
As fakes still prove problematic for luxury goods purveyors, the Applied DNA-Montblanc partnership could prove another step forward in quelling counterfeits.