Why is the QR code free?

The bar code we usually see was born around 1948, and began to enter the commercial discussion around 1949, and its patent protection has expired. The most common QR codes in our lives, such as those of WeChat and Alipay, are actually "QR codes", which were developed by Denso Corporation of Japan and patented. Therefore, under the premise of following the relevant patent rules of ISO/JIS (whether for business or personal use), these two things are free. What about the expenses mentioned by the subject? Although the bar code itself does not need to be charged, if it is to become a nationally recognized commodity identification code, it needs to pay the application and management fee to China Article Coding Center. This charge is protected by relevant laws and regulations. For the purpose, standard and method of charging, please refer to official website, the coding center. Therefore, if the subject wants to put the product on the market, he needs to pay the fee to the coding center, but if he only wants to use it in the enterprise or private scene, the generation and reading of the barcode/QR code itself is free.