We’re still feeling the excitement from Brand Licensing Europe in London last week. The speakers, deals and exhibits demonstrated the momentum that continues in the brand licensing field. But, seeing all of the activity and incredible properties all in one place also reminded us of the real need for anti counterfeiting measures to protect these brands and consumers from fake goods.

The show was filled with energy — from watching the fun of the character parade to hearing remarks from newer voices like that of Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain. We also saw innovation in action from the two winners and six finalists of BLE’s License This! Contest. Of course, new licensing deals kept discussions lively.

Keynote remarks from Elisabeth Allaman of the International Olympic Committee drew attention to the sports marketing category, one which has been heavily targeted by counterfeiters. The IOC’s three new licensing programs discussed by Allaman will further leverage the IOC’s iconic brand. Plans include an online store and an e-commerce effort. Clearly, the IOC sees significant potential from brand licensing despite the potential risks. Any program of this importance will certainly need strong brand protection measures. We’ll be interested to watch and see how the IOC’s anti counterfeiting efforts evolve as well.

With all of this energy from BLE around new licensing properties, programs and deals, we are even more convinced of the critical need for more widespread use of a next generation of product protection technology. In addition to anti counterfeiting, the best security label systems for licensed products should also be able to drive channel compliance, protect revenue and connect with consumers.

That’s why we’re continuing to evolve our product authentication solutions and apply new technologies to protect consumers and brand owners from the damaging impact of counterfeiting. We invite you to request a sample kit to see our copy-proof fingerprint and smart data platform in Action.