Patent ID: 7580895

Claim:
A computer implemented method for protecting a product identification to ensure the authenticity of a product piece, comprising the following steps: creating product protection identification comprising: detecting on a first computer a product-specific identification sequence (K) for each product piece; converting on said first computer the product-specific identification sequence (K) with a first hash method to a first hash sequence; generating on said first an encoded check sequence (C) by encoding the first hash sequence by using a symmetric encoding method (F 1 ) and a secret encoding sequence (B); converting on said first computer the encoded check sequence (C) with a second hash method to a second hash sequence; affixing to or on the product piece a product control sequence, comprising: (a) the encoded check sequence (C) or a sequence that is derived from the encoded check sequence (C), and (b) the second hash sequence; checking the product protection identification affixed on or to the product piece comprising: receiving the product control sequence via a second computer; deriving a decoded sequence on said second computer by decoding the product control sequence; checking the authenticity on said second computer of the decoded product control sequence.