Labels carrying optically recorded or encoded information; Encoded micro particulates. tags and taggants of polymer, plastic, silicon, silicate, or silica, or combinations thereof for use in the field of passive labeling, tracing or tracking of persons, animals, vehicles, packages, packaging materials, labels, or goods of any kind; Encoded micro particulates, tags and taggants of polymer, plastic, silicon, silicate, silica and combinations thereof integrated into a security fiber used to mark textiles, documents, or currency; Optically encoded micro particulates, tags and taggants for goods of any kind; Optically encoded micro particulates, tags and taggants for use in the fields of identification, access to infrastructure and resources, and security; Optically encoded micro particulates, tags and taggants for use in forensics, quality control, and detection of intrusion, breakage, or alteration; Optically encoded micro particulates, tags and taggants for application in or on goods by spraying, painting, printing, embedding, adsorption, absorption, mixing, coating, and adhesion; Optical, electronic, and electro-optical readers of optically encoded micro particulates, tags and taggants; Optical, electronic, and electro-optical readers that provide automatic authentication of tagged items; Computer software for reading images of optically encoded micro particulates, tags and taggants; Computer software that provides automatic authentication of tagged items; Computer software for encoding and decoding optically encoded micro particulates, tags, and taggants; Computer-based hardware for decoding optically encoded micro particulates, tags, and taggants