Abstract: A method of detecting attempts by online sellers to sell counterfeit goods on the internet, or to sell goods which they are not authorised to sell, is described. The user of a browser-enabled device when viewing a target website can determine whether the target website content is authorised or not. The browser may have a plug-in which allows the user to capture data from a target website, and send the data to a secure server which has access to or which stores data from the legitimate content owner or user. The data is then analysed to determine whether its use on the target website is authorised or legitimate, or not, and a warning or clearance message can then be sent from the secure server to the browser-enabled device to display that message to the user.

Abstract: A method of reading data represented by characters formed of an x by y array of dots, e.g. as printed by a dot-matrix printer, is described. An image of the character(s) is captured by a digital camera device and transmitted to a computer, and by using analysis software operating in the computer to which the camera image has been sent, dot shapes are identified and their positions within the captured image detected, using the similarity of dots to idealized representations of dots using a combination of covariance, correlation or color data. The position information about the detected dots is then processed to determine the distance between dots and to identify “clusters” of adjacent dots in groups of dots close to one another, and to enable such clusters to be mapped on to a notional x by y grid that defines the intended positions of the dots where grid elements intersect.

Abstract: A system of monitoring movable articles, e.g. for detecting counterfeits, is described. It comprises applying to the article (30) a label thereon, coded data in the form of a visually perceptible marking (34) conveniently at the time and place of manufacture and using a digitally controlled printer. Details of the marking are stored in a high capacity memory store. When it is desired to monitor the article, a pictorial image of the marking is sent from the location of the article to a remote computer (37) via a wide area communications network, such as a mobile telephone network (50). Details concerning the location of the article are also transmitted to the remote computer, which is programmed, to extract the coded data from the transmitted image file, and evaluate whether the coded data matches coded data stored in the high capacity memory store. If there is a match, the item is genuine and the remote computer can return a message to that effect.