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IBM, Marnlen to Design Privacy-enabled RFID Labels for Product Tracking

IBM and the Toronto-based Marnlen RFiD have agreed to explore the future use of the Clipped Tag technology for radio frequency tagging labels. The partners will explore the possibilities to enable consumer privacy protection for radio frequency identification (RFID) tags -- the potential production of smart radio frequency identification (RFID) labels using IBM Research's Clipped Tag privacy technology and Marnlen's state-of-the-art label manufacturing facilities.

The Clipped Tag technology, developed at IBM's Watson Research Center, allows consumers to tear off a section of the tag. This reduces the tag's read range to just a few inches, protecting consumer privacy while maintaining the benefits of the technology, such as product authentication or recalls.

Paul Moskowitz, IBM Research, said, "The Clipped Tag puts privacy protection into the hands of the consumer. It gives the consumer a visual confirmation of the tags' modification."

Marnlen manufactures custom and standard flexible RFID labels at its production line in Markham, Ontario where its new high-speed RFID label converting equipment is in production. Labels containing RFID tags are being used in a wide range of industries to streamline shipping and inventory systems, track valuable parts and equipment and to authenticate products.

Although most radio-frequency tagging is being used at the case and pallet level in warehouses and manufacturing sites, some companies are starting to use the technology on single items. An example of this is in the pharmaceutical industry, where RFID tags can help protect consumers from counterfeit drugs.


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