Hologram Manufacturers Association of India

The Indian Hologram Industry is largely governed by the Hologram Manufacturers’ Association of India (HoMAI). Almost all the leading Hologram Companies in India are Members of this association.

HoMAI also has a program called the HOLOGRAM ROSTER where Member Companies compulsorily get their customers’ Hologram Designs/Samples registered.

The Registration is a `paid service’ and once the Member Company fills up and sends the Hologram Registration From to HoMAI along with the Hologram Design & Samples, a computer scans all the data/images and stores it in the database.

Now if a counterfeiter approaches a Member Company to make a counterfeit Hologram, the Member Company can immediately check with the HoMAI central database as to if the same or similar Hologram was made earlier by any other Member Company.

If the Hologram has been made before, the Member Company immediately sends an `alert’ to HoMAI on the attempt to make a counterfeit Hologram. The HoMAI then forwards this lead to the concerned authorities which follow the lead to try and nab the counterfeiter.

This has proven to be a great tool for legitimate brand owners as well as Hologram manufacturers to check illicit attempts at counterfeiting.

The International Hologram Manufacturers’ Association (IHMA) also has a similar service called the ‘IMAGE REGISTER’.

BOOKS AVAILABLE AT HOMAI LIBRARY
Practical Holography - Third Edition by Graham Saxby
Digital Holography    -  By U. Schnars & W. Jueptner

OTHER BOOKS ON HOLOGRAPHY
http://www.holograms.bc.ca/books.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Lasers-Holography-Winston-E-Kock/dp/048624041X
http://www.rossbooks.com/
http://astore.amazon.com/science-books-20/detail/0060922583
Homemade Holograms-The complete guide to Inexpensive, Do it yourself holography (TAB Books)
Innovations in Secure Documents
http://piranet.com
Journal of holography & Speckle
http://www.aspbs.com/johas/contents_johas2006.htm

BOOKS ON COUNTERFEITING 
Protecting Medicines & Pharmaceuticals: A manual of anticounterfeiting solutions
Source: http://pharma-anticounterfeiting.info

JOURNALS IN PHYSICS
New Journal of Physics
URL: http://www.iop.org/EJ/njp

Austrailan J. of Physics
URL: http://www.publish.csiro.au/?nid=79&aid=69

http://journalseek.net/cgi-bin/journalseek/journalsearch.cgi?field=category&query=phys.misc
http://www.ias.ac.in/

Indian academy of sciences journals
Current Science
Journal of Chemical Sciences
Proceedings - Mathematical Sciences
Journal of Earth System Science
Sadhana (proceedings in engineering sciences)
Pramana - Journal of Physics
Journal of Biosciences
Bulletin of Materials Science
Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy
Journal of Genetics
Resonance - Journal of Science Education

JOURNALS IN OPTICS
1. Optics Express
Electronic, peer-reviewed, journal. Provides free access to full text articles
Url: http://www.opticsexpress.org/Issue.cfm
Url: http://journalseek.net/cgi-bin/journalseek/journalsearch.cgi?query=optics&field=allFields&editorID=&send=Go

With the advent of new reprographics techniques like digitization scanning and color photocopying, important sensitive, valuable documents, labels and seals were becoming immensely vulnerable to the threat of counterfeit and forgery. It was hence both desirable and imperative that all such important documents, labels and seals should carry an optical image (security label/seal) as a protection against counterfeit and forgery. Thus was the advent of holograms which with their high-quality and high definition optical image are indeed effective in combating fraud forgery and counterfeit.
Hologram was invented by Physicist Dr. Dennis Gabor in 1998. A hologram is not made by printing or by some kind of ink as is commonly supposed by the sophisiticated technology of Laser optics.
Know more about Dr. Dennis Gabor : http: //nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/l-
aureates/1971/gabor-autobio.html

• COUNTERFEITS are fakes clandestinely produced by someone other than the legal owner of the real or original product, name, logo or trademark. They are produced to look exactly or similar and sold like real products. They deceptively resemble the original product name, packaging, graphics/ colour scheme, name/address of the genuine manufacturer in total or near total.
• PASS-OFF products are look-alikes which use similar sounding names or similar spelling, similar looking packaging or color schemes or designs to deliberately mislead and cheat the innocent consumers into believing that they are buying genuine products. There may be slight changes to avoid being categorised as legally counterfeits or not to violate trademark and copyright laws.
• MISBRANDED products are an imitation or a substitute or resemble in name of the genuine product
• DOWNLOAD: Suspected counterfieting attempt [report.pdf]

Government - Industry’s Fight against Counterfeiters

A Recommendation

Considering the havoc played by the counterfeiting, in terms of colossal economic loss to the industry, revenue loss to the Government and grievous injury inflicted on the consumers, a “zero tolerance” approach should be adopted by the Government and the industry to help jointly fight this menace. It is rather essential that certain statutory measures be taken at the earliest to keep the unscrupulous converters at bay before they bring disrepute to the new & widely accepted holographic anti-counterfeiting and security devices.

It is, therefore, suggested that:-

• BIS, DGS&D, DGFT, EXCISE Depts. and other Government agencies should make Holograms a compulsory mark of authentication on all taxable [Sales Tax, Excise/ Customs Duty, ….] products and related important documents/ certificates.
• They should have industry/segment-wise own holograms, and issue them to their respective certified manufacturers. Strict inventory of holograms received & issued should be maintained to tally their final applications — in contrast to the manufacturers having control on BIS stampings at present. The Manufacturers of substandard equipment attempt to fake the BIS Stampings in order to trick consumers into believing that their products are safe.
  Once convinced of the specific hologram-affixed products & value documents being genuine, the end consumer will start preferring hologram-authenticated products only.
• All security and the authenticating holograms — whether produced in India or imported — should be compulsorily registered in the Hologram Industry (HoMAI) authorized “Hologram Roster”
  Copyright Enforcement agencies can query the Hologram Roster to obtain evidence of first/original creation and other copyright issues. Unauthorised designing/ origination/ production of look-alikes of genuine/ original holograms can thus be checked — under the Copyright Law — at the first source itself.
• The Tax Enforcement & Police Authorities - with adequate number of officers at all states/ district level - should proactively police the integrity of products sold and search out offers/sale of fake products and eliminate them so as to cleanse the market.
  They should conduct surveillance visits and link the counterfeits to their exact manufacturing source
• Govt. laboratories should help in conducting quality tests & forensic analysis of the seized products on a priority basis.
• All ministries & govt. departments concerned with the counterfeiting crimes, in cooperation with all major commerce & industries chambers/ associations/ federations relevant to items that are susceptible to counterfeiting should accord a top priority to combat Counterfeiting and support an independently managed ‘Counterfeiting Prevention Bureau’ to:-
  • Study the extent of counterfeiting and its effect on the economy and conduct
  • Operate public education program on national TV channels & Radio stations throughout the country and broadcast the short interviews by
    • providing consumer tips on spotting fake merchandise, how to avoid buying them,
    • alerting them to the counterfeiting problem, mustering their support in gathering intelligence on counterfeits and their perpetrators.
  • Conduct Copyright Protection awareness programs to educate the field officers of Excise/Customs/ Sales Tax and Police authorities and food/ sanitary inspectors so as to help them for a practical prevention and effective enforcement
  • Give special recognition to media coverage for their thorough and insightful articles on counterfeiting in the specific sectors
  • Give support to the nationwide anti-fake campaign and the protection of legal copyrights of enterprises.
  • Support an annual “Product & Document Counterfeiting Protection conference”
  • Institute Annual Awards to recognize outstanding job in Fighting the Counterfeiting - a criminal problem and the human injuries that it often produces by developing/ offering innovative & successful anti-counterfeiting solutions
  • Coordinate with the law/ tax enforcement authorities (Economic Offences Wing, Excise Dept., Police, Court Receiver’s Representative) for surveillance & investigation/ raids of suspected counterfeiting sources and/or the organized criminals on the basis of complaints/information received from the brand owners under the applicable Acts –Trade Mark & Merchandise, Copyright, Drugs & Cosmetics, Food Adulteration, and Consumer Protection Act.

• World Customs Organization regularly uses Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department (Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau) experts to help train other Asian authorities on anti-counterfeiting programs.
• The Global Anti-counterfeiting Group - an association of all the world’s major anti-counterfeiting organizations - exists to raise public awareness of the costs and dangers of fakes worldwide and to co-ordinate IP rights owners support and networking with public authorities and other IP protection organizations.

VIGILANT CUSTOMERS CAN HELP TRACE COUNTERFEITERS

Carefully examine the Hologram affixed on the product or its packaging.

• Read the Hologram & its image features written on the product’s packaging, which may include information about the:-
  • Logo/ Trademark/ Design,
  • Hologram shape, size, colour of protective coating on the sticker,
  • Image text/ features in the Foreground/ Midground/ Background of the image
  • Image Type (2D, 2D- 3D, 3D), Colors, Animation (horizontal/ vertical), Image switching on/off on viewing at angles, Micro Lettering, Repeating Pattern/Text etc.
• Hold the hologram against the light source at 45° angle (that will not cast your shadow onto the hologram. Tilting the hologram in either direction, different virtual layers/planes/ depth can be seen with different parts of the image, text/logo/design, movement/ animation and colours etc as per information on the package. For Example: in case of HoMAI logo:-

IF SUSPECTING A LOOK-ALIKE HOLOGRAM OR THE PRODUCT QUALITY:-

• Identify the vendor location or store where you bought it. Preserve the Cash Memo or Receipt.
• Try to know the source of its distribution/ manufacture, and collect as much information as possible to assist the genuine manufacturer to initiate proper investigation.
• Report to the company in writing.
  • Company coordinates with the police for raids/ arrests and seizure of counterfeit/ spurious/ pass-off goods
  • Depending upon the conclusiveness of your information report, many a times the brand-conscious manufacturer may even handsomely reward the duped customer

IN GENERAL, CAREFULLY READ THE LABELS AND WATCH FOR:-

• Products or packaging lacking manufacturer’s codes, trademarks and/or copyrights, Country of Origin Identification and other marks you normally find on your favourite products.
• Packaging with misspelling of words or altered product names, blurred/ inconsistent lettering/ colors, mismatched labelling or ripped labels.
• Drastic changes in product content, colour, smell, or packaging without prior notice from the legitimate manufacturer
• Check the quality, quantity, trade value of the product
• Products that are not made by the manufacturer listed.
• If no manufacturer is listed, definitely suspect the product Products with unusual claims and warranties
• The price and location often are the easiest ways to identify counterfeit consumer goods.
  Items well below market prices could be imitations - inferior in quality & performance.
• Always buy from an authorized reseller or a reputed shop. Insist on receiving a bill/ cash memo / receipt - especially if suspecting problem with the product
• Name Brand products sold at Ad Hoc Fairs/ Exhibitions Street Festivals (unless hosted directly by the product manufacturer), Flea Markets, Swap Meets, or even House/Office Parties claiming to be the discontinued designs, overstock, irregulars or “seconds” with minor cosmetic flaws, savings from eliminating the middleman etc may sound logical and seem to apparently explains or justify the “bargain prices”. The more familiar you are with the brand, the easier it is to note whether there is missing information.
• If buying online, do some research into sellers by making sure that consumer information numbers or toll free phone numbers and addresses are provided. Call these places before ordering if you feel uncertain

HOLOGRAM ROSTER [HR]

Exclusively designed to meet the specific needs of the Hologram Industry in India, to help strengthen the hologram users’ copyright protection interests, and mandatory for the ‘Hologram Manufacturers Association of India®’ (HoMAI) members, the Hologram Roster is independently operated and is a confidential & secured database of copyright-hologram images.
HR is used for Artwork Clearance prior to the mastering/origination and its registration as soon as the Hologram is produced in order to establish a reliable prima facie evidence of first creation and offer to the hologram users and the law enforcement agencies the legitimate details & proof of the copyright so as to help prevent any inadvertent similarity or conflict with the existing design in use and to prevent its unauthorised copying/ replication/ reproduction or making of a look-alike in the design process itself - unless the original producer of the existing registered hologram has given a written authorisation.
HR users can also refer to verify whether the prospective customer is already using a hologram so as to resolve copyright issues, if any.

• HR is a secured & confidential computerised database of copyright holograms/ images - produced in India or imported.
• The registered hologram design & image features, and the information about the originator/ producer/ end-user maintained in the HR is strictly confidential, and no outside person, or any HoMAI Member, can have direct access to it or be given the details of holograms registered by others.

Benefits of Hologram Registration in the Hologram Roster:

• It protects the copyright owner from having his image reproduced without written authorisation.
• The mandatory registration of all existing and future holograms - whether manufactured in India or imported - will help enhance the faith in the security of the holograms and assure its user, and in turn his product-customers, that all possible steps have been taken for the hologram’s security & its copyright protection.
• Authenticated entries made in the Hologram Roster and the Certificate of Registration would serve as a prima facie evidence & proof, before the law enforcement agencies, in support of first/original & copyright creation.
• As per Copyright Law, reproduction of the unique image (hologram) without authorization of the Copyright holder [or assignee of the creator/producer] is prohibited, and is a non-bailable criminal offence under which all infringing copies and all plates [master/s, shims] used or intended to be used for the production of such infringing copies shall be deemed to be the property of the owner/co-owner of the copyright.

HOLOGRAM ROSTER IS ACCESSED BY ITS USERS FOR:

• CUSTOMER VERIFICATION before processing any order enquiry to ascertain whether the prospective/ existing hologram user is already sourcing from or contracted with any other hologram manufacturer/supplier.
• ARTWORK CLEARANCE - prior to originating a hologram - to find whether the planned and/or proposed Hologram design is available and is not already being considered for origination and or production by another hologram manufacturer/ supplier and/or it doesn’t conflict with and is not a copy of or doesn’t have close similarity with an already registered hologram. To avoid blocking any design, the hologram has to be produced within 3 months and registered along with a sample.
• REGISTRATION of the hologram finally produced to record the hologram design/ specifications, image features, and other copyright information to establish a reliable and authenticated proof in support of first/original creation.

To protect the security holograms nation-wide, all hologram manufacturers/ designers/ suppliers/ converters/ finishers, who are currently not members of HoMAI are urged to join HoMAI to avail the benefits of Hologram Roster. For holograms used in India — whether produced in India or imported — it will be sufficient to register with the Hologram Roster alone. However, for extra legal protection, if desired, the HR administering agency (HRS) can assist in filing a separate application with the Registrar of Copyrights/ ROC. It may, however, be noted that the ROC’s formal registration process takes a few months, various clarifications/ visits, and there is practically no possibility of any prompt search query etc.

India is signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary & Artistic works (116 nations) and the Universal Copyright Convention (58 countries).

HR-registered holograms thus provide the legal protection to the holograms used or produced in India.

HOLOGRAM REGISTRATION SERVICE
	AIMES ProMotivations C8-8028 Vasant Kunj New Delhi 110070 Tel: +91(11)-5176 7046/ 2689 0148 Fax: +91(11)-2689 0148 Email: aimes@vsnl.com Exclusively Authorised by: Hologram Manufacturers Association of India®

HOMAI MEMBERS FIGHT TO SAVE YOUR BRAND/ PRODUCT AND THWART UNAUTHORISED ATTEMPTS TO MAKE HOLOGRAMS

HoMAI Members observe a very strict code of practice and don’t entertain requests/ orders for holograms from unauthorised persons. Following were a few instances when HoMAI Members refused to entertain unauthorised persons or the suspected duplicators:-

• Ojasmit Holographics, New Mumbai were approached to develop & supply Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.’s holograms, which the party had planned to affix on their Termination Voucher of Gas Cylinders as a means of authentication. Having a doubt about the genuineness of the order, the HoMAI Member promptly met IOC officials and found that the concerned party was never authorised to make holograms for IOC. HoMAI Member’s alertness thus averted a major fraud in the gas cylinders’ unauthorised terminations in Mumbai.
• Alpha Lasertek (I). Ltd., New Delhi were approached by someone from Nigeria who claimed to be the biggest importer of auto spares from Europe & Asia. He wanted to make holograms for FAG Bearings since his “German hologram manufacturer had closed down”. As the HoMAI Member wanted to first query the Holograms Roster, the party wasn’t in contact thereafter.
• Holographic Security Marking Systems Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai were recently approached by someone for an order of “Tata” holograms. He wanted to take the delivery himself but didn’t want to disclose the actual user company’s name/ address at this stage. Though he was agreeable to produce the authority letter sometime later. The HoMAI Member could see an attempt to counterfeit the Tata Logo and refused to make any hologram without the permission of the Company.
• Holoflex Ltd., Calcutta were approached by
  ” Subject: secured holograms Would like to find out price on 500 visa logos the bird and the two worlds on the MasterCard. Would like these items with the rainbow effect, I need the logo to be the exact size and width as the visa and MasterCard logos.” March 03, 1999 HoMAI Member replied:
  Please let us have the authority you have from MasterCard and Visa, who have authorised you to source these holograms. On satisfactory receipt of these we would then revert.
  Holoflex never heard again from , who obviously wanted to source MasterCard and Visa holograms. It obviously was an amateurish attempt to procure look-alikes and, therefore, Holoflex refused the request.
• Ojasmit Holographics refused to entertain one Singer sewing machines dealer, who wanted to make Singer & Usha holograms without any authorisation from the respective brand owners.
• Duro Pack Ltd. refused to entertain a yet another counterfeiter in the making .. He was trying to source the “SAMTRONICS” look alikes. On checking within the HoMAI Network, Duro Pack found that the holograms for “SAMTRONICS” were already being produced by HOLOSTIK I Ltd.
  Accordingly, they informed Samtronics for action.
• Bajaj Holographics were approached by some , who had called up to make the SIMMTRONIX look alike holograms with changed fonts and words (sinntronix). True to HoMAI sprit, the member not only refused to oblige but also forestalled all other HoMAI members to be cautious of this counterfeiter. 24-5-2000
• Laser Securities, NOIDA were approached for an order for Shahnaz Hussain Hologram’s look-alikes. The person had called from a PCO, therefore, his identity couldn’t be established. He had offered a much higher price and a big order. Laser Securities refused to entertain the impostor and informed the fellow HoMAI member who were producing the originals. June 09, 2000
• Holographic Security Marking Systems Pvt Ltd, Mumbai refused to entertain an enquiry from for trying to make holograms for MODI XEROX. 03July 2000
• Holographic Security Marking Systems Pvt Ltd, Mumbai refused an enquiry from . He sells Auto spare parts and wanted a hologram in the brand name of Spaco (spare parts). 31Jul1999

HoMAI members undertake to: 

1. Help promote & protect the common interests, observe high standards of integrity & business ethics in their dealings with customers, other HoMAI members, associates & suppliers so that the membership of HoMAI itself is regarded as standing for integrity, quality and customer satisfaction.  

2. Refrain from knowingly misrepresenting or exaggerating the features and the functioning of their products or their capabilities or succumb to short-term gains, which might result into sub-standard quality and eventually endanger their own credibility and the very concept of using the hologram itself. 

3. Exercise due care to ensure that orders for production & supply of holograms are accepted from the authorized person of the genuine & original brand owners only. 

4. Respect the intellectual property rights of the owner(s) of the design(s), drawing(s), art-work, master plates, sub-master plates of any given hologram and make the same clear to the respective customer/s & contractor/s. 

5. Register their all existing & future authenticating/ security/ copyright holograms & image designs in the independently maintained Hologram Roster (HR). 

6. Furnish their production/ sales or other business information of general nature, as and when requested, for preparing consolidated data without disclosing any individual/-concerned member’s identity. 

7. Always obtain a ‘no dues’ letter from the previous employer/ principal while appointing technical staff, consultant, agent, or representative. 

8. Bring to the notice of the HoMAI Administrative Office & Secretariat any instance and/or information of any breach of this Code by any HoMAI member/s or by anyone operating in or associated with the holography industry who may be acting in such a manner which may bring the holography industry into disrepute and tarnish the image of HoMAI.
If unable resolve, the Governing Body may advertise such violations of the Code of Practice, levy fine as decided from time to time, or initiate suspension/ expulsion (in consultation with the General Body) of the concerned person(s)/ company/(ies) from membership. 

Hologram industry calls for men of integrity & creative ability. It employs the rapidly changing complex technology, ongoing up gradation of equipment/ machinery and a substantial percentage of turnovers on R & D to stay ahead of the counterfeiters. 

HoMAI MEMBERS are committed to :

• A self-regulated ‘Code of Practice’ for reliable business ethics in all their dealings so as to instil a sense of reliability and confidence in the mind of the hologram users.
• Consistently high level of improved quality, technical & security standards.
  - Members’ manufacturing facilities are verified to encourage technology & security upgradation
• Respect the intellectual property rights,
  Register all the security holograms/images in the HOLOGRAM ROSTER to help safeguard copyright issues.
• Offer the right anti-counterfeiting solution - no misrepresentation or exaggeration of their capability, Share their experience and knowledge in guiding the brand owners to decide upon the right hologram and adequate security levels to be built in so as to stay ahead of the counterfeiters.
• Be vigilant about any breach of the HoMAI Code of Practice, or of any person attempting to infringe upon the copyright of the registered holograms and to bring such incidents to the notice of the Governing Body to help initiate necessary action.
• Endeavor to enlarge business through customer satisfaction.
  - HoMAI Members account for over 95% of Total Security Holograms Sales
• Deal with the genuine brand owners only; scrutinise and check authenticity of all orders with the principal/ genuine brand/ product owners so as to foil - in the enquiry process itself - any unintentional or amateurish attempts by persons trying to source a look-alike of an existing hologram.

‘HoMAI Membership’ current certificate ensures the concerned member’s abiding by the HoMAI Code of Practice.