Barcode Scanner Patents and Workarounds?

[Guest]

My company is considering the development of a mobile device that integrates
2D barcode scanning among its features.

However, our engineering team is stymied as they believe that we are unable
to incorporate 2D barcode scanning technology without licensing the
technology specifically from Symbol--which is obviously difficult to obtain
and costly to implement (and effectively allows a potential competitor to
control our ability to sell effectively).

Is this an accurate picture?
Are there any workarounds for this barcode patent?

I would greatly appreciate it if you could point me in the direction of
accurate information about what is/is not allowed under the current barcode
patent scenario?

Thank you very much for your assistance.
Greg ([email protected])

 

[John Timney \(MVP\)]

This is probably not the correct place to ask this type of question. Patent
rights are a highly complex issue and you would be best advised to seek the
advice of a patent lawyer.

Regards

John Timney (MVP)

 

[Dick Grier]

Hi,

I am not an expert. However, my understanding is that Symbol has some
patented hardware (and firmware) that is use to read standard 2D
symbologies. If you want to use hardware that is based on their patents,
then...

However, there are other types of hardware that should not infringe. A
simple example would be a camera that captures a jpg image of the 2D barcode
and passes this image on to some sort of image processor (Lead Technologies,
Pegasys Software, etc.) where it is decoded. The symbologies themselves are
not (AFAIK) affected by any patents.

Beyond that, do what John suggests and get more details for the lawyers to
digest.

Dick

--
Richard Grier, MVP
Hard & Software
Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, Fourth
Edition,
ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages, includes CD-ROM). July 2004, Revised March
2006.
See www.hardandsoftware.net for details and contact information.