Quick Response Codes: Who Owns the Registered Trademark?
Posted on Mon, Feb 06, 2012
Yes, the term is trademarked. Here’s what you need to know.
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Did you know that the word “QR Code” is registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED in Japan, the United States, Australia and Europe?
DENSO WAVE’s registered trademark, however, applies only to the word QR Code®, and not the QR Code® pattern (or image). The technology is, in fact, open source.
DENSO WAVE is asking companies to make sure all future references of QR Code® have the registered trademark symbol (®) after the term “QR Code,” and the following text is placed somewhere on the same page as the term: *QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
A registered trademark is not required when publishing the QR Code® image, just the name.
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A quick response code, as most in the industry know, is a 2D barcode that can be scanned by a smartphone, to instantly link to websites for more information, coupons, videos, special offers, etc. Essentially, it’s a way to make printed documents more dynamic and powerful. You can find them in bills/statements, billboards, magazines and many other kinds of communications and promotional materials.
CodeZ QR says quick response codes are enabling innovative, high-volume 1:1 campaigns, and some of the world's most recognizable names in business are using quick response campaigns to improve their interactions with customers and enhance their brands – Ralph Lauren, Sprint, Subway, to name a few. Certainly, quick response codes are well-known in the high volume transaction output industry, so it may come as a surprise to some that the term is trademarked.
Additional information here >>>.