Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, has adopted the KODAK Brand Protection Solutions extendable software platform to support its new customer rewards program. With the launch of the Panini Rewards Program, trading card and memorabilia collectors can now gain points when they purchase and trade these collectibles.

“The Panini Rewards platform gives collectors the ability to collect points and use them on an industry-first platform to collect trading cards and other items from their favorite teams and players,” said Jason Howarth, vice president of marketing at Panini America. “We’re happy to have worked with Kodak to deliver this first of its kind to the trading cards and collectibles community.”

Specifically, the KODAK Brand Protection Solutions team worked with Panini America to:

• Implement a high-resolution image-capture station giving collectors the ability to view memorabilia and autograph cards

• Implement a website designed to enhance collectors’ customer rewards experience

• Develop a mobile app

Pablo Biggs, director of brand protection solutions at Kodak said, “Panini America has been one of our valued customers for years, so we were eager to help them create and launch this program that’s such a big win for their customers.”

Panini has been a Kodak customer since 2008. Kodak has provided ultracovert brand protection solutions for the high-value collectable trading card line for the past six years. More recently, Kodak’s software and consulting teams have been working with Panini to create this online web-based hub for members. The system not only offers security for the Panini brand, but for consumers as well. Future Rewards Platform enhancements will give collectors the ability to self-authenticate their trading cards and eliminate issues related to potential counterfeit trading cards on the secondary market.

Kodak offers brand protection solutions that can be integrated directly into the production and manufacture of the collectible items themselves. Solutions range from visible overt identification or codes to ultracovert KODAK TRACELESS Markers and Readers. Merchandise can be protected and authenticated so that it retains and increases in value over the collectibles’ lifetime.

To learn more about Kodak’s full line of brand protection solutions, please visit www.kodak.com/go/brandprotection.

About Kodak

Kodak is a technology company focused on imaging for business. We provide innovative hardware, software, consumables and services to customers in graphic communications, packaging and functional printing. We also serve entertainment and commercial films markets. With our world-class R&D organization and extensive product portfolio, Kodak is helping customers around the globe to grow their own businesses in a sustainable way. For additional information on Kodak, visit us at kodak.com, follow us on Twitter @Kodak, or like us on Facebook at KodakNow.

About Panini Group

The Panini Group, established almost 50 years ago in Modena, Italy, has subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for MLBPA, NBA, NFL, NHL, FIFA, USA Baseball, Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. and other key properties from many other licensors. Panini has distribution channels in more than 100 countries and employs a staff of over 800. For more information visit us at http://www.paniniamerica.net, http://www.paninigroup.com or http://www.paniniamerica.wordpress.com. You can also follow Panini America on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and on YouTube.

(Kodak and Traceless are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company.)