[Taklimakan Blog] Austrian COLOP Develops E-Mark Secure on Blockchain

The Austrian manufacturer of stamps and markers COLOP has developed a solution for verifying and authenticating digital and physical documents on the blockchain. The product is called e-mark Secure.

When visiting a doctor’s clinic, a certificate of his qualifications invariably hangs on the wall. But how do you know they are real? This is not just paranoia, as many have been deceived by fake medical education.

When using COLOP, a QR code may be included in that doctor’s certificate so you can verify that it was issued by a professional organization as stated. Like the old-fashioned stamps used by notaries, e-stamps stamp documents, but using a palm-sized QR code printer with a unique device ID.

The COLOP solution differs from other document security measures in that it is relevant for both printed and digital documents. Existing solutions for authenticating and verifying documents often only apply to physical or digital copies. For example, watermarks and signatures are useful in paper copies, and electronic signatures or holograms are used to authenticate automated documents, but neither solution is suitable for both contexts.

The COLOP electronic stamping process has two aspects. The first is to certify the document with a digital seal. The second is to verify the authenticity of the document.

To verify the document, you need to scan the QR code using your mobile device and a standard QR code reader application, which will redirect them to install the COLOP verification application. In the application, users can find information such as the place and time of the electronic tag, the contact information of the authenticator, a scanned copy of the original document, and other information. We tried it for a press release and it was a little awkward, but it worked.