Abstract:
A certificate and method is provided that reduces the likelihood of counterfeiting via photocopier by providing various features that would require the use of a color duplex copier in order to effectively copy the certificate. Requiring the use of a color duplex copier is an effective deterrent because the use of such a device significantly reduces the profit margins of counterfeiting efforts.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/728,123 entitled  Two - Sided Counterfeit - Resistant Certificate and Method  filed, Mar. 19, 2010, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/162,199 filed Mar. 20, 2009 entitled  Two - Sided Counterfeit - Resistant Certificate , the contents of both of which is incorporated in their entireties herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The advent of high quality, inexpensive color copiers has been a wonderful tool for businesses but an equally useful weapon by individuals inclined to use the technology fraudulently to their advantage. One of the biggest applications of fraud with the new, sophisticated color copiers is utilized in the area of duplicating negotiable documents (i.e. merchandise certificates that are fulfilled and mailed to individuals of consumer products companies&#39; loyalty programs. An individual could, for example, mail in certificates of purchase and in return receive a bar-coded certificate good for a free item (i.e. bottle of soda, pound of candy, etc.). The new color copying technology allows individuals to efficiently and effectively mass produce duplicate copies of the certificate such that the barcode on the copy is accepted by the barcode scanners of the retailers where the certificate is redeemed. The traditional VOID hidden word feature is not enough to deter criminals from copying the certificates because the barcode is still read by the scanners and busy clerks do not tend to notice the screened word “VOID” on the certificate since they are primarily looking for the barcode (and if it successfully scans they accept the certificate) resulting in potentially millions of dollars of loss for the consumer products company. There are literally millions of store clerks who receive these types of certificates so it is important to “foolproof” the document so the vast majority of the time a forged certificate is rejected regardless of who the store clerk is. Therefore, the need is to come up with a document solution that ensures if the clerk doesn&#39;t notice the “VOID” screen on the certificate there are additional defense mechanisms in place to ensure the fraudulent document is stopped before redemption takes place. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The solution involves a certificate designed for a generic, inoperable barcode on the front of the certificate that cannot be scanned and the actual scannable barcode is printed on the back of the document. In the middle of the inoperable barcode on the face of the document are instructions to the clerk to scan the barcode on the back of the certificate. If the certificate is authentic the process will run smoothly and there will be no issues at the point of redemption as the document will be properly scanned on the back as instructed. If the certificate is a counterfeit that has been reproduced via a photocopying device, the word “VOID” will appear in a bright, distinguishable color throughout the certificate screen. Additionally, as on an authentic certificate, the barcode on the front will not work, requiring the clerk to turn the certificate over as instructed to scan the barcode. Unless a counterfeiter used a duplex color photocopier, there will be no operable barcode on the back of the counterfeit certificate, thus thwarting the efforts to redeem a counterfeit certificate. Using a duplex color copy machine is a more expensive and timely process. Finally, as on the front of the counterfeit certificate, the word “VOID” will appear on the back of the counterfeit certificate in a large step and repeat printed font to draw further attention that the forged document is not real . 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a first side of an embodiment of the two-sided certificate of the present invention; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a second side of an embodiment of the two-sided certificate of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an attempt at using a copier to duplicate the first side of the two-sided certificate shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an attempt at using a copier to duplicate the second side of the two-sided certificate shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a first side of an embodiment of the two-sided certificate of the present invention; and, 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a second side of an embodiment of the two-sided certificate of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Referring now to the figures, and first to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a first side  20  of a two-sided certificate  10  of the present invention to be printed on a substrate such as paper, preferably paper having a thickness usable for postcards and the like. The first side  20  includes a fold or perforation line  22  and tear-off areas  24  at either end. On one side of the fold line  22  is designated as a postcard section  26 , while the other side is designated as a certificate section  28 . 
         [0011]    Looking at  FIG. 2 , there is shown the opposite side  40  of the two-sided certificate  10  of the present invention. The second side  40  includes a fold or perforation line  42 , which aligns with the fold or perforation line  22  on the first side  20  of the certificate  10 . The second side also has a designated postcard section  46  on one side of the fold line  42  and a designated certificate section  48  on the other side of the fold line  42 . 
         [0012]    The present invention pertains more particularly to the certificate sections  28  and  48 . Certificate section  28  constitutes the front of the certificate and includes informational and/or promotional information about the redemption value of the certificate  10 . An inoperable UPC symbol  30  appears but is rendered useless by a white bar  32  running through it that instructs a clerk to scan the second side  48  of the certificate  10 . The purpose of the inoperable UPC symbol  30  is merely to direct the attention of a clerk or other certificate processor to the back side  48  of the certificate section. As such, other indicators to scan the UPC code on the back side  48  may be effective, as one skilled in the art will realize. For example, as shown in  FIG. 5  and described below, a check version of the present embodiment is provided, which provides written instructions via a selection box to scan a UPC code on the back side. 
         [0013]    The symbol  30  may give the appearance of a bar code in order to create confusion on the part of a would-be counterfeiter. The counterfeiter may not realize that the bar code is inoperable, or not an actual barcode, and thus use a single-sided copy, ignoring the actual, functional barcode  50  on the opposite side of the certificate, discussed in more detail below. 
         [0014]    The empty space of the certificate section  28  includes a hidden indicator, such as ink dots  34  of at least two colors, one of which is visible to the human eye but invisible to a copier machine, and the other of which is visible to both. This technology is known in the art and is used as a counterfeit deterrent. The color that is visible to the copier is arranged to form the word “Void,” or its functional equivalent, in an inconspicuous manner. 
         [0015]    The second certificate section  48  is aligned on the opposite side of the certificate  10  as the first certificate section  28  and, therefore, constitutes the back of the certificate. The second certificate section  48  may be void of information, with the exception of a functional UPC bar code  50 . Additionally, the remainder of the second certificate section  48  also includes a hidden indicator, shown by way of example as ink dots  52  similar or identical to those ink dots  34  on the front side  28  of the certificate. 
         [0016]    Alternatively or additionally, the functional UPC bar code  50  may be adjacent to a warning  53  to a clerk that the UPC code  50  is not to be scanned without reviewing the front of the certificate to ensure that it is not blank and/or that one or both sides of the certificate are in color. 
         [0017]    The first postcard section  26  may be used to provide an easily returnable postcard that the recipient of the certificate  10  may use to communicate or otherwise respond to the issuer of the certificate  10 . The second postcard section  46  is filled to establish that it is intentionally blank. 
         [0018]    The first and second postcard sections  28  and  48  include first and second recipient section  29  and  49 , respectively. The first recipient section  29  provides a space to greet the recipient and convey a message. The second recipient section  49  provides a space for the mailing address of the recipient. 
         [0019]    In use the issuer of the certificate  10  prints the certificates  10  and folds them along the perforation line  22  such that the first sections  26  and  28  face each other. Adhesive is applied to join the tear-off areas  24  and  44  such that the two tear off areas  24  on the first side  20  face each other and are joined. Hence, the sections  46  and  48  of the second side  40  become the visible sides of the certificate  10 , with mailing information and postage on the recipient section  49  becoming the only significant visible information. This alleviates confusion for the postal service. 
         [0020]    Upon receiving the certificate  10 , a recipient tears off the tear-off sections and opens the certificate  10  along the fold line  42 . A message in the recipient section  29  communicates to the recipient that he or she has received a redeemable certificate and should tear the certificate section from the rest of the document along the fold/tear line  22 . After doing so, the recipient is left with a two-sided certificate and a postcard. 
         [0021]    The recipient may then apply postage to the postcard and provide communication back to the issuer. The recipient may also bring the resulting two-sided certificate to a vendor and redeem it for goods or services. The vendor, upon being handed the certificate, may try to scan the UPC code  30  but will be unsuccessful and will then notice the instructions to scan the back and to also ensure the word “Void” does not appear anywhere on the certificate. Because the back side  48  of the certificate contains nothing but the bar code  50  and the ink dots  52 , if the word “Void” appears, it will be quite obvious. 
         [0022]    Hence, if one were to make single-sided copies of the front certificate section  28 , not only would the word “Void” appear, but the UPC code  30  would not be operable for redemption. An example of the result of such an attempt  60  is provided in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0023]    If one were to make single-sided copies of the back certificate section  48 , the resulting certificate would look suspicious due to a lack of product information as well as the inconspicuous appearance of the word “Void”.  FIG. 4  shows an example  70  of this attempt. 
         [0024]    If one were to go to the expense and trouble of making two-sided copies of the certificate, the clerk would likely look closely at the certificate after a possible failed-attempt at scanning the front side  28  UPC code  30  due to the white bar  32 . The clerk would then see the word “Void” written on both sides of the document. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a second embodiment  100  of the present invention is shown. There is shown a first side  120  of a two-sided certificate  100  of the present invention. The first side  120  includes a fold or perforation line  122  and tear-off areas  124  at either end. On one side of the fold line  122  is designated as a postcard section  126 , while the other side is designated as a certificate section  128 . 
         [0026]    Looking at  FIG. 6 , there is shown the opposite side  140  of the two-sided certificate  100  of the present invention. The second side  140  includes a fold or perforation line  142 , which aligns with the fold or perforation line  122  on the first side  120  of the certificate  100 . The second side also has a designated postcard section  146  on one side of the fold line  142  and a designated certificate section  148  on the other side of the fold line  142 . 
         [0027]    The present invention pertains more particularly to the certificate sections  128  and  148 . Certificate section  128  constitutes the front of the certificate and includes informational and/or promotional information about the redemption value of the certificate  100 . A selection box section  130  appears that gives the recipient a choice between using the certificate as a check (via check box  131 ), or using the certificate as a coupon (via check box  132 ). Selecting box  131  would require an endorsement on the back side  148  by the recipient. Selecting box  132  directs a clerk to scan a UPC code  150  on the second side  148  of the certificate  100 . 
         [0028]    The empty space of the certificate section  128  is filled with ink dots  134  of at least two colors, one of which is visible to the human eye but invisible to a copier machine, and the other of which is visible to both. This technology is known in the art and is used as a counterfeit deterrent. The color that is visible to the copier is arranged to form the word “Void,” or its functional equivalent, in an inconspicuous manner. 
         [0029]    The second certificate section  148  is aligned on the opposite side of the certificate  10  as the first certificate section  128  and, therefore, constitutes the back of the certificate. The second certificate section  148  may be void of information, with the exception of a functional UPC bar code  150 . Additionally, the remainder of the second certificate section  148  is filled with ink dots  152  similar or identical to those ink dots  134  on the front side  128  of the certificate. 
         [0030]    Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.