Abstract: A process for producing multilayered microparticles for marking and later identifying substances or objects of any desired type, even animals and plants, has the following steps: several marking layers are successively applied in the liquid state onto a web-shaped or sheet-shaped substrate, each layer being dried and/or hardened before the next marking layer is applied, until a stack of layers of the desired type and in the desired order is obtained; the substrate is separated from the stack of layers; and the stack of layers is crushed into multilayered microparticles without affecting the integrity of the series of marking layers. A first disclosed process is characterized in that the individual marking layers are applied by a printing process. Alternative processes are characterized in that the individual marking layers are applied by bronzing, by spray painting or by roll coating.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for protecting and marking products by using microparticles, which are to be attached or added to the product, each microparticle having several color layers forming a code, wherein for each individual product two or more differently coded microparticle groups are used, with the first microparticle group containing in its code the same information for a plurality of products, and with the second or subsequent microparticle group containing in its code an information which is individual for each individual product or for few products.