afishinado wrote:
Software not allowing multiple printings of the license is kind of pointless. Anyone can take it to their office or to Kinkos and make copies.
It’s like printing out your own boarding pass from an e-ticket on your home computer for a flight, and having the airport security check it before you enter the gate area. Anyone can print or copy anything. Real safe huh.
OK slow down a little...We are talking about a fishing license not hijacking airplanes. All of these "token" documents you can print on your own printer are printed for YOUR peace of mind. In the F&BC case, so they can see the 2006 from a distance. I don't know about the airline tickets but I would guess they check the name on the "token" ticket to your drivers license and to their electronic log. It is pretty safe so long as they follow the protocol that the system was set up around. The old style license had a security feature, signing across the stamp and witnessed by the agent who sold it. The new on-line ones are printed from your printer with the data YOU enter. Then you have to sign it. If you print multiple copies, and sell them, your name is on them and you are responsible for the fraud that YOU committed. If you get caught.
There are all sorts of security features out there for document printing. And they are sold at a premium through US Patents. Some document use is deemed to not be that important and the Security is taken upon the document issuer to have a check and balance system to validate the legitimacy of the document.
And anyone cannot print the documents with security features...no one can. The featured are encrypted into backgrounds, micro-type lines, watermarks, etc. Where the importance of fraud is overshadowed by the cost to prevent it, the risk is written off as negligble and validation techniques are used.
The WCO's are very skilled at identifying a license from a distance and have a keen eye to determine when they feel there might be something questionable happening, in this case they will approach and question the fisherman and have him validate his license through his drivers license or another form of personal ID. (which you are required to have on your person while fishing).
Well, I guess we beat this one to death...I'm done.
