Patent ID: 7540415

Claim:
A method for first party users of an open communications network to obtain counterfeit resistant documents from at least one supplier of the documents over the open communications network, and for validating such documents when presented for use, comprising: ordering a document via a user computer from a supplier via a supplier computer over the open communications network; assigning unique information to the document prior to, during or after ordering thereof; electronically transmitting from the supplier at least information relating to the document and the unique information to a printer designated via the user computer from which printing of transmitted information can be effected on a medium; the printer printing on the medium at least the information relating to the document and, in a machine readable form, the unique information, the printed medium comprising the ordered document; and upon presentation of the document for use, machine reading the unique information therefrom, and prior to accepting the document for use, electronically determining whether the machine-read unique information (a) is valid and (b) had been previously read for use.