Patent ID: 8256688

Claim:
A method for certification and later authentication of an original document provided by an issuer, the method comprising the following steps: a) affixing a unique and non-reproducible bubble seal to the original document, wherein the unique and non-reproducible bubble seal is previously recorded in a first secured database, wherein the content integrity of the original document is certified by the issuer; b) digitalizing opto-electronically said original document with the affixed bubble seal using a device enabling the content of the original document to be linked with the affixed bubble seal in a single operation to form a logical copy of said original document and affixed bubble seal, wherein the device is connected directly or indirectly through a network to the first secured database and a second secured database, wherein the second secured database is local or remote, wherein the second secured database is independent of the first secured database; c) transmitting to and recording in the second secured database the logical copy of said original document and affixed bubble seal, wherein the logical copy recorded in the second secured database is date/time stamped, non-modifiable, and non-rewriteable; wherein the logical copy is archived in the second secured database at an address corresponding to the bubble seal; and d) in order to authenticate a presented document having a bubble seal, comparing the bubble seal of the presented document with the recorded unique and non-reproducible bubble seals in the first secured database to determine whether the bubble seal of the presented document is valid, and if valid, retrieving the logical copy associated with the bubble seal from the second secured database, and comparing said presented document with the logical copy.