DHF launches Best Practice Guide for Key Copy Protection

DHF has announced the launch of its Best Practice Guide entitled: How to obtain Key Copy Protection: security and protection advice regarding copying of keys which offers information on minimising the risk of a security breach by preventing the unauthorised copying of keys.

To copy a key, it is necessary to obtain a suitable key “blank” onto which the individual key code can be copied. Many generic key blanks are readily available to UK locksmiths and key cutters, making obtaining key copies convenient, but a risk to security.

For some installations, that risk is unacceptable, and there is a need to prevent the unauthorised copying of keys. An effective way of achieving this is where the lock manufacturer restricts the availability of suitable key blanks. This, of course, is only possible if the lock manufacturer can prevent anyone else supplying the blanks without his or her permission. The objective of DHF’s Best Practice Guide is to clarify this complicated area of law to enable claims about security and protection against unauthorised copying to be appropriately evaluated.

“There is a definite misunderstanding in the marketplace about the most effective way to provide protection for a key,” explains DHF’s CEO, Bob Perry. “It is important to understand that this level of key control cannot be offered through key copyright, or design registration and, in fact, the most effective way manufacturers can restrict the availability of key blanks is by using a lock and key mechanism that is patented (cylinder and lock together).

“DHF’s new Best Practice Guide offers concise and comprehensive direction on how to achieve key copy protection,” concludes Bob. “Ultimately, it is the manufacturer who must have control and the ability to restrict the distribution of key blanks to ensure that the possibility of a security breach is properly managed.”