"...Traxdata, in co-operation with Apex Machine Company in Fort Lauderdale, have lodged a patent covering a new development, which makes possible the security numbering/lettering of CD and DVD products. Demand for individual serial numbering on CDs has been present right from the beginning of the CD market. To date it has always been impractical and uneconomic for CD finishing houses to offer this service to their customers. Now Traxdata and Apex have developed an automated process, which enables the imprinting of unique serials onto discs during, and as part of, the face decoration process.

The serialisation is non-removable and can be printed in any colour in close registration with graphic elements in the CD face design,for example in the background of a picture. Other possibilities include the use of special inks, which are only visible under UV or Infra-Red light sources. Serials can also be under-printed beneath second or subsequent colours to make duplication virtually impossible.

Commenting on the new process Kevin Edwards, Chairman and CEO of the Traxdata Group said, “For the last six years we have had repeated demands for serialised CD-R discs from customers worldwide, including those in government and military sectors who have special security requirements. Finally we have a solution which we believe will satisfy this market area requirement and we anticipate a rapid development of sales of serialised discs into the sector. In the CD-ROM market the implications of this new process for anti-piracy and software protection are immense. Many software manufacturers will be interested in having every disc they produce unique to make identification of pirated products much easier. There is also a significant potential for incorporation of disc serial numbering into software registration and release processes during installation..."