Are QR codes patented and free to use?

Yes, QR codes are free to use. Denso Wave holds the original patents but publicly declared it would not enforce them for codes following the standard, and the foundational 1994 patents have since expired in any case. The name "QR Code" remains a registered trademark; the format itself costs nothing.

The patent position, in three layers

Layer one: the patents exist. Denso patented the QR code around its 1994 release — the geometry, the encoding, the detection method. This surprises people who assume "free" means "never protected". It was protected from day one.

Layer two: the pledge. Denso Wave publicly declared it would not exercise its patent rights against QR codes that comply with the standard — originally JIS X 0510 in Japan, then ISO/IEC 18004 internationally. The condition matters: the pledge covers the standardised format. It was a deliberate strategy, not an oversight — the inventor's team wanted ubiquity, and Denso's reader-hardware business profited from a free format the way razor makers profit from cheap blades.

Layer three: expiry. Patents last 20 years from filing. The foundational QR patents, filed in the mid-1990s, lapsed in the mid-2010s. So even in the hypothetical where the pledge were withdrawn tomorrow, the original invention is now unambiguously in the public domain. The free status of the basic QR code no longer depends on anyone's goodwill.

What you can do without asking anyone

Generate codes, in any quantity, for any lawful purpose, commercial or not.
Print them on products you sell, packaging, advertising, tickets, anything.
Build and sell software that generates or reads them — UseQR itself is MIT-licensed open source doing exactly this.
Charge customers for services involving QR codes.

No royalty, no registration, no permission, no attribution for the format. The only obligations in the system attach to the name: "QR Code" is a registered trademark of Denso Wave, with its own etiquette covered on the licensing and trademark page.

What is not covered

The pledge and the expiry apply to the standard format. Denso Wave's proprietary variants — iQR, SQRC and FrameQR — are separately protected, licensed technology. The line is easy to hold: if it is plain ISO/IEC 18004 QR, including Micro QR, it is free; if it is a Denso-only extension, it is not.

A related but distinct point: the format being free says nothing about any particular service. A dynamic QR platform's redirect infrastructure is its property, and codes depending on it live and die by the subscription. The freedom described on this page belongs to static codes, whose entire content is in the printed pattern.

FAQ

Is the QR code patented?

It was. Denso patented the format around its 1994 release, publicly pledged not to enforce the patents against standard-compliant use, and the foundational patents have since expired after their 20-year terms.

Do I need permission to use QR codes commercially?

No. Generating, printing and selling products with standard QR codes requires no licence, royalty or permission from anyone. The only care needed is around the trademarked name "QR Code" in your published materials.

Why did Denso Wave give the QR code away?

Strategy. A free format spread everywhere, and Denso's business selling scanners and readers grew with it. The inventor, Masahiro Hara, has said the team wanted the code used as widely as possible.

Are all QR code variants free to use?

No. The ISO-standardised formats — QR, Micro QR — are free. Denso Wave's proprietary extensions, iQR, SQRC and FrameQR, remain licensed technology requiring the company's software and terms.