OT: Topps takes measures to discourage CT scans of packs

[cgjackson222]

My apologies for the paywall: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/606...trading-cards/

"Topps has taken its first steps to discourage trading card vendors and hobby shop owners from using CT scanning technology to reveal what’s inside packs, boxes or cases without damaging the packaging and potentially reselling them to the public.

A new section within Topps’ MVP direct buying program agreement added an “Intrusive Device Policy” as part of its code of conduct, according to the agreement document obtained by The Athletic from an industry source who was not authorized to share the document publicly. YouTube channel NEO Cards and Comics was the first to reveal the document.

The policy states that Topps will “permanently suspend” all direct accounts with a vendor or hobby shop that uses or has ties to the practice of CT scanning products. Topps includes the use of weight scales as a violation of the new policy, according to the agreement.....

Catching someone breaking the policy presents challenges for Topps, though.

There’s no way to know whether a pack or box has been scanned without the person or company divulging that. There’s no database kept by IIC for what’s been scanned, nor is there an indicator placed on the product to show it’s been scanned by IIC.

Additionally, the company doesn’t know the true identity of everyone sending in products to be scanned.

“We’re not verifying our clients,” IIC general manager Keith Irwin said in an interview with The Athletic a few months ago. “A lot of them we assume are using fake emails. And so we don’t know who they are. Fake emails, fake names, and then we use Square for credit card processing. So we don’t know who any of these people are, honestly"....