Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) today revealed innovative changes to the holographic devices featured on all its licensed products. The new hologram introduces various overt and covert elements that are designed to make it easier for both consumers and law enforcement to distinguish between licensed and bogus goods. The new hologram, created by OpSec Security, Inc., will appear for the first time on 2008 MLB postseason licensed products.
The new "red stitch" hologram will include the best features from the existing hologram and introduce new elements that will make the holograms more visually unique and harder to replicate. The new design adds additional color and a sensory element, a raised stitch-like feature, which allows fans to see and touch the holograms to make sure they are real. As before, each hologram will have an alpha-numeric combination unique to that item, the MLB silhouetted batter logo and other covert features. MLB is the first sports league to implement the use of this new advanced technology.
"We are committed to researching and developing new technologies to assure consumers of their item's authenticity and to stay one step ahead of the counterfeiters," said Ethan Orlinsky, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Major League Baseball Properties. "Our fans have come to look for the MLB hologram as a symbol of authenticity on all official Major League Baseball merchandise."
"Major League Baseball continues to seek out innovative anti-counterfeiting solutions to leverage optimal protection for their trademark licensing program. OpSec is proud to be MLBP's partner since the inception of its brand protection program," said Jeffrey Unger, President, Brand Protection, OpSec Security.
As part of its new offering, MLBP has redesigned the standard domestic hologram, the most common among MLBP's suite of holographic products. The new hologram is designed to simulate a regulation MLB on-field baseball. It also includes a "stars and stripes" version of the MLB silhouetted batter logo (which interchanges with the regular version of the MLB silhouetted batter logo) and the letters "MLB" imbedded into the background of the baseball imagery.
MLBP's holograms have operated as a deterrent to counterfeiters and a simple means for law enforcement officials and fans alike to distinguish between licensed and counterfeit merchandise.
Over the last five years alone, MLB has seized more than four million pieces of counterfeit MLB goods, and, since 1993, through its membership in the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports logos (CAPS), has been involved in the seizure of an additional nine million pieces of counterfeit merchandise featuring the logos of various pro sports leagues and teams, colleges and universities -- valued at more than $329 million.
About Major League Baseball Properties
The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) in 1966 as the Clubs' agent for marketing and trademark licensing and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs, broadcast rightsholders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events. For more information on Major League Baseball, log on to www.MLB.com.
About OpSec
OpSec Security, Inc. is a wholly-owned division of OpSec Security Group plc (London AIM: OSG). OpSec Security is the global leader in providing anti-counterfeiting technologies, services and software to over 250 companies across industry sectors and over 50 governments worldwide. The Group operates manufacturing facilities and laboratories in the USA and the UK, and has sales operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please see www.opsecsecurity.com.
