Patent ID: 7996319

Claim:
A method for authenticating and tracking one or more instantiations of a product following initial distribution comprising: providing a code string model having finite parameters, the finite parameters used to define a total quantity of unique code strings that can be derived from the code string model; randomly generating a subset of unique code strings from the total quantity of unique code strings; associating attributes to one or more of the subset of unique code strings, the attributes defining characteristics regarding the instantiations to which the one or more of the subset of unique code strings will be marked on or affixed to; providing a secure server having a database used to store the subset of unique code strings; marking each of a quantity of the instantiations with one of the code strings of the subset; capturing the one or more code strings marked on each of the quantity of instantiations and storing the captured one or more code strings within the database on the secure server; distributing the marked instantiations along a chain of commerce after the captured code strings are stored; and validating the authenticity of one of the marked instantiations during distribution, the marked instantiation validated through exchange of transmitted signals between the secure server and a communication device, wherein the communication device receives an entry of the unique code string and transmits an inquiry signal containing the unique code string to the secure server, wherein the secure server receives the inquiry signal to reveal the scanned unique code string, searches the database thereon to validate the authenticity of the unique code string, and transmits a return signal to the field reader regarding validation of the authenticity of the marked instantiation, wherein the attributes assigned to the unique code strings are stored within the database of the secure server, and wherein the validating authenticity step further includes storing current location information of the marked instantiations when the tracking parameters are determined to be valid.