New York, Nov 13 (IANS): A Japanese company, NEC Corporation, has come up with a smartphone app to spot knock-offs with a single close-up picture.

Aimed at retailers more than individual shoppers, the NEC application will have pictures of products in its database taken with a special magnifying lens, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The patterns will then be used by shops to verify factory received products using smartphone pictures taken with a special lens.

Since branded luxury goods like handbags and wallets have a unique surface pattern, like a fingerprint, NEC's new pattern recognition system can spot fakes, making it easy enough for anyone to utilise it.

Several companies have expressed an interest in the service which is to be formally launched after April next year, according to NEC.

Ultimately, the system will allow merchants to completely remove product ID tags and plastic strings that are pierced through expensive items. This, NEC hopes, will lower costs and ensure even a small hole does not mar pricey designer goods.