3D printing has amazed me more and more as time has passed, and I’m sure the same goes for others. So many new designs and efficient ways of production have surfaced over the past year. But one big issue that could also happen is designs being pirated, or stolen. Eventually, people will figure out how to get digital designs from sites like 3DShoes.com without even having to pay for them. Once that happens, they will be able to steal all the designs they want and sell them for profit.
Thankfully, a Brooklyn-based company named Greats has found a solution that may have solved this. This 3D printed “smart tags” will help track sneakers back to the factories, helping prove their authenticity. By working with a shoe and fashion software authentication company, Chronicled, they were able to bring this idea into play. The designs of the tags were inspired by Bitcoin, a currency that can be very easily proven to be real or fake. No matter how good the fake shoes are, companies will be able to tell the difference between what is theirs and what is not.
Each tag is distinguished by an identity code, which is stamped into a corresponding pair of shoes. The tag is also embedded with an encrypted NFC chip that can be scanned and tracked with a smartphone. This could really help Nike, 3DShoes, Adidas, and all the other 3D companies who would want to protect their merchandise. You just scan the tag with your phone, and it will tell you whether or not the pair is authentic, and where it came from.
Original Article: http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160613-bitcoin-inspired-3d-printed-smart-tags-can-authenticate-your-designer-sneakers.html
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