Quick Response Code and QR Code

Two names, one symbology

The full term Quick Response Code and the short form QR Code denote the same two-dimensional matrix symbology. Quick Response Code is the descriptive term used in institutional, technical, and editorial reference. QR Code is a registered trademark held by Denso Wave.

Status of the trademark

Denso Wave registered QR Code as a trademark in multiple jurisdictions following the symbology's 1994 release. The company has publicly stated that it does not assert patent rights against the use of the symbology, which has permitted the Quick Response Code to be adopted as global infrastructure. The trademark applies to the name; it does not restrict the practice of generating or reading symbols conforming to ISO/IEC 18004.

Editorial usage

Throughout this reference, the full form Quick Response Code is used in headings, titles, and metadata. The short form QR Code appears only in disambiguation paragraphs such as this one, and in proper names of ecosystem layers (e.g. QR Codex, QR Registered, QR Identity) where the short form is part of the layer's established name.

Other related names

Variants in the symbology family include Micro QR Code, iQR Code, rMQR Code, Frame QR, and Secured QR (SQRC). Each is a recognized member of the Quick Response Code family of symbologies.