Some organizations, such as GS1, legitimately monitor barcode contents so that they are monitored, organized, and standardized for companies throughout the world. In order for a company or individual to comply with regulations, UPC and EAN codes are mandatorily purchased from GS1– a not-for-profit global standards organization. Many illegitimate organizations profit from consumers by offering these kinds of services. Some of these services include the monitoring of encoded barcode contents and the sale of rights to such contents.
Organizations that claim to monitor the usage of barcode contents so as to limit conflict between two users who might encode the same data generally have no merit or means to facilitate this type of service. When content monitoring is not standardized, provided by a singular central organization, and is not global, it has no value. The sale of rights to encoded content is often no more than the peddling of snake oil. Companies take advantage of consumers who are looking to label unique products. These consumers place their trust in the conduct of these organizations which make a profit appear from out of thin air.
It is important to research the company or organization that you are buying rights from. Verifying their credentials and making sure that they are a reputable and standardized source will ensure that your business remains profitable and resists falling victim to a scam.