Discover how Masahiro Hara and Denso developed QR Codes in 1994 and how an open-use policy helped the technology spread worldwide.

The Engineer Behind QR Codes Helped Make the Technology Free to Use

By News National Editorial Team

A small black-and-white square has transformed the way people share information, make payments, access websites and verify tickets. Known as the Quick Response (QR) Code, this technology is now part of everyday life around the world. Behind its development was Japanese engineer Masahiro Hara, who led a team at Denso that created the QR Code in 1994. https://www.qrcode.com/en/history/

What makes the QR Code story particularly significant is not just the invention itself, but the decision that helped it spread: Denso Wave made the specifications publicly available and chose not to exercise its core patent rights against QR Codes that follow the standard. This allowed the technology to be used without the usual patent-licensing barriers. https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/news/koho/innovation/01_qrcode_e.html

Why Was the QR Code Invented?

In the early 1990s, manufacturers needed a faster and more effective way to track automotive components. Traditional one-dimensional barcodes were useful, but their limited data capacity made them less suitable for increasingly complex production and inventory systems.

Denso's development team set out to create a code that could store more information, fit into a compact space and be scanned quickly. The new system also needed to support Japanese characters, including Kanji, and remain readable when part of the printed pattern was dirty or damaged.

The result was the QR Code, announced in 1994. Its name refers to “Quick Response,” reflecting the emphasis on rapid scanning. Unlike conventional barcodes, which encode information in lines, a QR Code uses a two-dimensional arrangement of dark and light squares to store data.

How the Technology Became Freely Usable

Denso Wave's approach to intellectual property played a major role in the QR Code's expansion.

The company did not simply give away ownership of the invention. It retained patent rights while making the specifications publicly available and adopting a policy of not exercising its core patent rights against standardized QR Codes. This distinction is important: the technology could be used freely under that policy, even though the company continued to hold intellectual property rights. https://www.qrcode.com/en/history/

By reducing licensing concerns, the company made it easier for businesses, software developers and equipment manufacturers to incorporate QR Codes into their products and services. This open approach encouraged innovation beyond the original automotive industry.

International Standardization Expanded Its Reach

QR Code adoption grew as the technology became standardized. It was recognized by industry standards bodies during the late 1990s and became an international ISO/IEC standard in 2000. Standardization helped manufacturers and developers build compatible systems across different countries and industries. https://www.denso-wave.com/en/system/qr/qr30th/

Mobile phones later brought QR Codes to a much wider public. In Japan, phones equipped with QR Code-reading features became available in 2002, allowing users to access mobile websites and coupons simply by scanning a code. As camera-based scanning became increasingly common, QR Codes moved well beyond factory floors.

From Automotive Factories to Everyday Life

Today, QR Codes serve a wide range of purposes, including:

• Digital payments: Customers can scan codes to pay merchants or transfer money through supported payment services.

• Travel and events: Airlines, transport operators and event organisers use QR Codes for tickets and check-in systems.

• Retail and logistics: Businesses use them to identify products, track stock and improve traceability.

• Restaurants and hospitality: Customers can open digital menus and access service information.

• Healthcare: QR Codes can help link people to product details, records and verification information where appropriate.

• Websites and communication: Organisations use them to direct users to webpages, contact details, forms and other digital resources.

The code itself does not guarantee that a link or payment is safe. Users should still check the destination before opening a website or authorising a transaction.

The Broader Lesson Behind the QR Code

The QR Code illustrates how technical innovation and access policies can work together. A useful invention can reach far beyond its original purpose when people and organisations are able to build on it without unnecessary barriers.

Masahiro Hara and the Denso development team designed the technology to solve a practical industrial problem. Denso Wave's decision to make the specifications available and not enforce its core patent rights against standardized QR Codes helped others adapt it for applications the original developers could not have fully anticipated.

The story is therefore not one of an inventor surrendering ownership, but of a company retaining intellectual property while adopting an open approach to the technology's use. That choice helped a factory-oriented tracking system become a widely adopted tool for digital communication.

Sources: Denso Wave's QR Code history; Japan Patent Office's account of QR Code development; Denso's official history of the technology.

Editorial note: This article distinguishes between patent ownership and the decision not to exercise patent rights against standardized QR Codes. Trademark rights and other intellectual property considerations may still apply in particular contexts.