Alibaba unveils vibrant QR-style codes to cut out counterfeits
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is planning to embed a new range of QR-like codes on its products to help differentiate them from counterfeits.
Alibaba, in conjunction with Israeli startup Visualead, has revealed a new range of Dotless Visual Codes – which resemble QR codes in appearance only as a means of informing consumers they can be scanned.
Unlike QR codes, Dotless Visual Codes can be embedded with colourful imagery or branding, making it easier, and more appealing, to integrate with products and packaging.
Alibaba has partnered with the start-up to crackdown on fake goods, with each manufacturer assigning a unique code to their items which can be confirmed as legitimate with a simple scan.
Nevo Alva, co-founder and chief executive of Visualead, said that the “new Dotless Visual Code standard… answers the enterprise's need for security while increasing consumer engagement with the brand”.
Check out the video below if you want to see the tech in action.