All the footballs to be used in Super
Bowl XXXV will be tagged with a unique strand of synthetic DNA. This will be the second consecutive Super Bowl to use this process in order to ensure the authenticity of the actual balls used in the game.
The growth of counterfeiting of all sports collectibles played the major part in
this decision. In prior years only a letter of authenticity had been
provided, and as a result any number of balls have been sold as Super Bowl
balls that were not. "For a prestigious American sporting event such as the
Super Bowl," said Chris Outwater, president of DNA Technologies, "it seems
only fitting the NFL use the most reliable anti-counterfeiting technology
available."
The actual marking of the balls will be done by DNA Technologies' licensee
Professional Sports Authenticators using an invisible, yet permanent strand of
synthetic DNA. The balls will be further protected by a tamper evident
PSA/DNA label and a DNA-marked Certificate of Authenticity. Verification can
be done at any time with a specially calibrated laser.
The DNA technology was also used during the Sydney Olympics to protect collectible merchandise manufactured specifically for the event. The company's
technology is being widely used by prominent sport's personalities, by large
entertainment companies, by leading brand-name manufacturers, and by renowned
contemporary artists. Counterfeiting and the skilled techniques of today's
knock-off artists is a growing business -- currently at estimated at more than
200 billion dollars annually. With DNA technology available, more DNA marking of everyday items can be expected.