Product bar code and textile material tag

Re: [spiers] Product bar code and textile material tag


> Regarding product bar code, it is advantage or required to get them for
new products? I heard that some customers requires them in order to do
business with them. What is the thought on this and where do you register
for them? Is there a website?
>

UPC codes are controlled by a monopoly "non-profit" called the Uniform Code
Council, web site at
http://www.uc-council.org/

Prices have gone up significantly in the past year or two (they are based on
your sales projections -- so estimate low) and there is now an annual fee to
boot. Up until 2002, the UPC bar code was a one-time fee, but in 2002, they
not only instituted an annual fee, they tried to "back bill" all existing
UPC owner/users and start charging them an annual fee even though there was
nothing in the original license purchase addressing the possibility of
annual fees. A class action lawsuit was recently settled against the UCC,
but any new codes purchased since August 2002 will now be required to pay
the annual fee. Interesting info available at:
www.UCCsettlement.com

Your fees include up to 100,000 numbers, which is a lot of different
products, but which is not cost effective for a start up with a handful of
products or sizes, etc. US manufacturers or private labelers typically are
in charge of getting UPC codes for their products, but I don't know how that
works for imported products. If products are under your label, you will
likely have to get your own UPC codes for access to most markets, depending
upon the market and product category. That should be part of the research
you do when you pre-sell products prior to finding a manufacturer and
importing.

Note that independent gift stores in rural areas largely do not use the
codes, but virtually any store chain or franchise, or grocery store, or any
store that does "scanning" at the checkout counter will typically require
UPC (Uniform Product Codes) barcodes. There is a new digital technology on
its way to replace the UPC codes, but the same organization has their finger
in the pie so it is unlikely there will be financial relief for small and
start-up businesses.

Malcolm Dell
Gift Marketing Institute

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