QR Codes (= Quick Response Codes) were developed by Denso in Japan.

The Japanese standard for QR Codes, JIS X 0510, was released in January of 1999, and a corresponding ISO International Standard, ISO/IEC18004, was approved in June of 2000. "QR Code is open in the sense that the specification of QR Code is disclosed and that the patent right owned by Denso Wave is not exercised."—from the Denso-Wave website
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