The device is subjected to an international patent. Despite the obvious simplicity of the process, it was necessary to define more than 100 modules or elementary entities so that the resulting solution could assure a reliable security and no errors on paper documents.

To allow the document to interact with the reproduction or acquisition materials, two complementary display elements are added on the document.
These graphic elements are unobtrusive enough and do not prevent the readability or the design of the document. On the other hand the printing of these elements doesn't require a specific technology, so all printers can assure their impression. It is valid for computer type impressions but also foreseeable on printing outputs.

The first display element allows to identify all sensitive documents, say, all documents where an interaction with the reproduction systems is required. For that, this element that we shall name "Marking" is visible on all elementary parts of the document. When the reproduction device locates this element even on a reduced part of the document, it will automatically search for the second display element and will block all reproduction if this one is not detected. The marking presence prevents an easy hiding of document's sensitive characteristic. In the picture, the marking is represented by a cloud of black points.

The second display element allows encoding in the document its reproduction constraints and rules. We call this graphic element "rules". Information is coded by using a suitable numeric encoding. In the picture above the encoding is simplified, in fact it can rely on all existing technology of binary encoding. The information contained in the rules makes it possible to restrict the copy of a document to some people or entities in a company. They can also allow the owner of the document or one of his copies to reach the dedicated server of the issuer of the document in order to check the authenticity of it. Electronic document acquisition or the copy of it can be thus managed by the issuer and will let him communicate to the copy owners any document updates or any information relative to the document. the issuer can thus keep away any misuses of the document. All third party that owns a copy of such a document is prevented to take actions based on false or incomplete information.