Louisiana has successfully patented a part of its driver’s license, becoming the first state in the Union to take such a measure.
Nancy Mathews, director for the Campus-Community Coalition for Change, said Louisiana pursued this patent to go after fake ID brokers, not necessarily fake ID holders.
“The primary concern for this measure was the counterfeiting of fake ID’s over the Internet,” Mathews said. “The patent office granted a patent to us for the sketch of the capitol building that is on every driver’s license.”
Mathews said the CCCC originally tried to get a patent on the entire license, but because the license looks different in other parts of the state, the state decided to only copyright part of the seal which is on every license and many state documents.
“If anyone counterfeits the driver’s license now the state can file a federal injunction against them,” Mathews said. “It’s now a federal offense and violates U.S. copyright law.”
If caught recreating the license, counterfeiters now will face federal charges as well as some repercussions from the U.S. patent office, Mathews said.
Mathews said the state received the patent through cooperation from several entities, including the Louisiana Highway Patrol, the state Attorney General’s office, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Louisiana Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Kathy Childers, the state executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said MADD supported the state’s efforts to copyright the driver’s license because members believe it helps further their cause.
“Our mission is to not only stop drunk driving and help victims of it but to also prevent underage drinking,” Childers said. “Because the logo is now copyrighted, our belief is we will see a decrease in the number of fake ID’s available to underage drinkers.”
Mathews said she also hopes for a decrease in the number of fake ID’s available to minors over the Internet.
“I think if law enforcement enforces this law and goes after Web sites who sell counterfeit licenses the availability of fake ID’s online will go down,” Mathews said.
Beau Segere, an accounting junior, said he thought the measures would work for a while and then slack off when the ID makers find a new way to counterfeit the driver’s license.
“It’s like trying to tell everyone they can’t download music off the Internet,” Segere said. “People will just begin using other options.”
Adam Fuselier, a computer science junior, said he didn’t think the measures would affect fake ID use among minors.
“People will just get ID’s for another state,” Fuselier said. “It surprises me that we are the first state to do that when we are generally liberal with that kind of stuff.”
Blake Luminais, a 21-year-old management senior, said he knew friends in high school who made fake ID’s and profited from selling them to their peers.
“If I was in high school still I would just make sure I made IDs from Mississippi or Texas,” Luminais said.
Luminais also said he traveled to Texas this summer and had his Louisiana ID rejected by a bar because the bartender said Louisiana’s ID’s were the easiest to fake.
“It’s probably a good move for the state,” Luminais said. “Maybe we’ll get some extra federal tax money or something.”
Lindsay Jacob, a management senior, said she thought having the only patent-protected driver’s license makes Louisiana look good in the eyes of the country.
“It makes us look better because we’re the only state that has it,” Jacob said. “It might make [fake] ID’s slack down.”
Childers said that although the measures were good for the state’s battle against fake ID’s, the responsibility of controlling fake ID’s ultimately falls to the restaurants and bars in the area.
“By reducing the number of fake ID’s for minors to buy with, we’re helping them out,” Childers said. “The responsibility lies with the restaurant and bar owners.”