ANTI-counterfeiting measures supplier Applied Optical Technologies, has been awarded the contract to supply brand protection for the Athens Olympic Games.

The contract, which will last until the games in 2004, involves the manufacture and supply of a range of hand tags, pressure sensitive labels, clothing labels and holographic foils, featuring the Olympic Games 2004 hologram.

The products are also protected by the Washington, Tyne and Wear company's "track and trace" system, which enables product sales to be accurately monitored through merchandise licensees.

The product range will be manufactured at AOT's operations in Europe and the US, together with some work by the company's agent in Greece.

The award follows an extended trial period, and production has started.

The value of the contract will depend on the level of sales of the official merchandise in the run-up to the games. Mark Turnage, AOT chief executive, said: "This is an important contract for AOT to win. Together with other recent successes in global brand protection programmes, such as the security labelling programme for the 2002 Fifa World Cup, it is further evidence of our leading position in anti-counterfeiting and product authentication technology." AOT is set to report its interim results on Thursday.

The Athens contract win comes on the back of other major successes in the past year, including parts protection for General Motors in Europe and a new licensing programme for Major League baseball in the US.