Imagine a future where event tickets cannot be counterfeited, under any circumstances, and you will understand the mission of Applied DNA Sciences (ADNAS), a Stony Brook, NY biotechnology company that brings unparalleled security to consumer and other products.
Though the company has worked with the likes of textile companies and pharmaceutical makers, among others, it is now turning its sights onto the ticketing industry, offering sports teams, venues, concert promoters and brokers the chance to buy and sell tickets that cannot be copied.
“DNA is recognized in courts around the world as the highest level of security,” ADNAS CEO James Hayward told TicketNews. “And with tickets, a barcode that’s been printed with ink containing DNA simply can’t be copied.”
Hayward believes the company’s SigNature DNA product, a botanical-based material that is available in a multitude of platforms, could revolutionize ticketing because it could secure individual tickets in a variety of ways. The DNA material could be infused in the paper or ink, in holograms, in laminates for backstage passes, adhesives or varnishes, among others, Hayward said, and it would only cost a fraction of what costs to manufacture a ticket.
In fact, the company recently deployed SigNature DNA in the tickets for an unnamed international sporting event that is scheduled to take place later this year. Hayward won’t disclose which event, or what method of DNA marking is being used, in order to protect the identity of the client and the integrity of the security for the event.
“From college football to elite international events, we all run the risk that our seat may be double-booked and we are left standing with a fake ticket and potentially missing the entire event. This is why SigNature DNA is the home run of event ticketing,” Hayward said following the announcement of the use of the company’s product in the unnamed sporting event.
While there are handheld devices that could scan tickets to detect the DNA, the process takes about 10 minutes for six tickets, Hayward said, so it would “not be done at the turnstiles.” Instead, events would randomly test tickets after entry to ensure that the tickets are authentic. In addition, the process could be used after an event to help build a case against a counterfeiter.
“This technology could greatly affect the resale of tickets, because with each successive transaction, the risk of counterfeiting rises. This could eliminate that, and it could add value to tickets on the resale market because it would ensure that those tickets are not fake,” Hayward told TicketNews.
