MLS Expands Decade-Long Relationship with OpSec Security for Comprehensive Brand Protection

Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-level professional soccer league in the United States, has announced an extension of its longstanding partnership with OpSec Security, the global leader in anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, to acquire expanded services for anti-counterfeiting and brand licensing management.

"OpSec Security has been our vendor of choice for over the past ten years. All of our licensed merchandise totaling $300M in sales is protected by our product authentication program. OpSec’s advanced anti-counterfeiting holograms are a recognized symbol of authenticity for consumers to identify genuine MLS merchandise,” said Stuart Crystal, Vice President of Consumer Products, MLS.

"The new deployment of OpSec’s licensing management capabilities has added measurable efficiencies in improving our workflow. OpSec has provided a one-stop shop for managing and tracking our licensing program. Authorized licensees can now order MLS holograms required on all licensed products, as well as gain convenient access to official trademark graphics and quicker approval of artwork designs. We continue to gain significant benefits from OpSec’s superior services and technologies.”

"The MLS brand has grown with the increasing popularity of soccer in the United States. We have kept pace with their ongoing needs for brand protection, and are providing them with a full complement of solutions for anti-counterfeiting and licensing management. We are proud to support MLS’ efforts to combat counterfeiting, build the MLS brand, and protect their licensed revenues,” said Jeffrey Unger, President, Brand Protection, OpSec Security.

MLS’ holographic labels use innovative overt and covert anti-counterfeiting technologies to provide an effective deterrent to counterfeiting. It also provides a convenient means for fans to identify genuine merchandise from fakes.

In the last year, MLS has implemented OpSec’s license management solution to significantly streamline, automate, and integrate its licensing business workflow. The system provides efficient distribution of official trademark and brand guidelines, and greatly reduces turn-around time for artwork approvals. The additional deployment of the contracts management module this year will provide further efficiencies in royalty collection, contract renewals, and asset management.

About Major League Soccer

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-level professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the United States and around the world. The League's 14th season kicked off on March 19, 2009. The 15 teams in MLS are: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, Red Bull New York, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC, and the newest team that debuted this year, Seattle Sounders FC. MLS continues to grow as the Philadelphia Union will begin play in 2010 and teams in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Portland, Oregon will become the 17th and 18th clubs in 2011. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official web site at www.MLSnet.com.

About OpSec Security

OpSec Security, Inc. is a wholly-owned division of OpSec Security Group plc (London AIM: OSG). OpSec Security is the global leader in providing anti-counterfeiting technologies as well as solutions and services for physical and online brand protection to over 300 companies across industry sectors and over 50 governments worldwide. The Group operates manufacturing facilities and laboratories in the USA and the UK, and has sales operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please see www.opsecsecurity.com, or contact Terri Mock, +1-617-226-3000, or tmock@opsecsecurity.com.