Importance

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Abstract

The present invention includes a method of securing one or more product indicia for use in authenticating products or collecting a tax and includes generating one or more product indicia and encrypting the one or more product indicia with a public encryption key. The product indicia are then transferred to an indicia application location for application of the one or more product indicia to one or more products and processed securely while applying the one or more product indicia to the one or more products to thereby prevent tampering, misuse or theft of the product indicia at the indicia application location. The present invention also.includes a system for securing product indicia for use in authentication of products or collecting a tax and includes a processor and a read/write memory associated with the processor. The read/write memory stores therein a product indicia file which contains one or more product indicia in an encrypted form. In addition, the read/write memory stores therein a private key file containing a private encryption key in an encrypted form which is associated with a public encryption key which is used to encrypt the product indicia in the product indicia file. A code-protected device is also associated with the processor and stores therein a code-protected encryption key which is used to encrypt and decrypt the private encryption key in the read/write memory. Further, the code-protected encryption key can not be deciphered without rendering the code-protected memory inoperable. A printing device is also associated with the processor and the processor is configured to utilize the code-protected encryption key to decrypt the private encryption key, use the decrypted private encryption key to decrypt the one or more product indicia in the product indicia file, and transfer the decrypted one or more product indicia to the printing device for printing thereof.

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First Claim