Authenticity is evidence
A name can be copied. A logo can be reproduced. Packaging can be imitated, and a document can be separated from the object it describes. Authenticity is therefore a reasoned assessment of whether available evidence forms a coherent relationship with the physical object.
The object and its documentary form
Every object has a physical form: what can be seen, touched, measured, and examined. It also has a documentary form: identity, creation record, provenance, service history, and other connected information. The challenge is keeping these forms connected over time.
Why certainty needs discipline
Records are not always complete. Ownership may be private, archives may contain gaps, and evidence may conflict or be unavailable. A responsible framework distinguishes verified, consistent, under review, insufficient evidence, and discrepancy identified.
A working principle
The more precisely an object is described, and the more independently its identity and history can be examined, the stronger the basis for an assessment. Technology can preserve evidence; it cannot make an unsupported claim true.