Relating to marking

A marker, the marker including a DNA fragment type, the DNA fragment type including a plurality of different DNA fragments, all the DNA fragments within a DNA fragment type being different from one another, each of the different DNA fragments within a DNA fragment type being different in length to one another due to the length variable portion being different, each DNA fragment further including one or two identity variable portions, amplification of the DNA fragment type providing detectable elements, the identity of the one or two identity variable portions determining the identity of the detectable elements provided by amplification.

A method of marking an article, the method including provide a marking system, the marking system comprising a plurality of different DNA fragment types, each of the plurality of DNA fragment types comprising a plurality of different DNA fragments, all the DNA fragments within a DNA fragment type being different from one another, each of the different DNA fragments within a DNA fragment type being different in length to one another due to the length variable portion being different, each DNA fragment further including one or two identity variable portions, amplification of the DNA fragment type providing detectable elements, the identity of the one or two identity variable portions determining the identity of the detectable elements provided by amplifications a known DNA fragment type being applied to the article.

A method of providing a potential marking for an article, the article being provided in proximity with a container, the method comprising provide a known DNA fragment type, the known DNA fragment type comprising a plurality of different DNA fragments, all the DNA fragments within the known DNA fragment type being different from one another, each of the different DNA fragments within the known DNA fragment type being different in length to one another due to the length variable portion being different, each DNA fragment further including one or two identity variable portions, amplification of the DNA fragment type providing detectable elements, the identity of the one or two identity variable portions determining the identity of the detectable elements provided by amplification, the DNA fragment type being applied to the article as a result of a disturbance to the container.

A method of detecting the DNA marking of an article by a DNA fragment type from amongst a plurality of different DNA fragment types, each of the plurality of DNA fragment types comprising a plurality of different DNA fragments, all the DNA fragments within a DNA fragment type being different from one another, each of the different DNA fragments within a DNA fragment type being different in length to one another due to the length variable portion being different, each DNA fragment further including one or two identity variable portions, amplification of the DNA fragment type providing detectable elements, the identity of the one or two identity variable portions determining the identity of the detectable elements provided by amplification, the method comprising obtaining a sample of DNA from the article, contacting the sample with an amplifying mixture, the amplifying mixture comprising two or more forward primers and one or more reverse primers, two or more of the primers providing detectable elements which are different from one another, amplifying the DNA fragment type and considering the identity of the detectable elements for at least some of the different length DNA fragments in the amplified fragment type.