Are QR Codes copyrighted? (DRM Protected Image)

markkaz

markkaz

I Love YTtalk
I was going to put a product's QR Code in a video but first, I uploaded a test video to see if people can screen capture the QR Code in the video and then scan that screenshot with their QR Code reader.

Well, my Samsung Note 3 phone won't let me capture a screenshot of the video. It states something to the affect that it won't screen capture a DRM protected image. I don't know if it is Samsung disallowing it or the YouTube Android app because I can screen capture on my iPad, no problem.

I know they can watch the video on a computer and then use their phone to scan it but I think many people will be watching on their phone and then want to scan and use the QR code.

Anyway, has anybody heard about any channels getting any copyright strikes for having QR Codes displayed in their video? To be clear, these are not my QR Codes.
 
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i dont know much about it but i think its a way to protect users from their videos from being used on commercial use. if QR reader was free to link than your videos would have been view but you'll never know if it was used by another person outside youtube's power.
 
I always thought QR Codes were just a different form of linking to a product or website? I'm interested in finding out though.
 
I've never heard of anyone getting a strike for using it. Copyright protects expression and information, but I think of a QR code as being more like a phone number, or a web address. I would think that any company that makes a QR code publicly available would have no issue with that image being shared. We are allowed to put phone numbers and web addresses as long as they don't infringe on anyone's privacy.
 
No, a QR code is not a copyrightable thing, at least not by the company creating one.

http://www.qrcode.com/en/patent.html

It is not a piece of art or intellectual property belonging to anyone in particular. Rather, it is a standard design to point to a location in a similar way that simply typing out a URL or taking a screenshot of one cannot be copyrighted. If it belonged to anyone, it would be Denso Wave, but they have provided permission for anyone to use the codes whether commercial or not.
 
@Tarmack Thanks for your input. I had looked around and didn't find anything so I uploaded the video. But to be safe, I put the QR Codes in a separate video so that I could delete it if I had to.
 
markkaz said:
@Tarmack Thanks for your input. I had looked around and didn't find anything so I uploaded the video. But to be safe, I put the QR Codes in a separate video so that I could delete it if I had to.
Click to expand...

I wish I had more practical experience with it. It stands to reason that companies could utilize ContentID with a QR code image, but that seems extremely unlikely. In my opinion they don't have the right to, but that only stops so much.
 
The QR Code unlocks special virtual cars online. I can see the company asking me to not freely distribute the codes because they want the kids to buy the toy cars in the stores. Well, The kids could just scan the cars in the stores anyway and not purchase them.

Sometimes, kids can find the coolest cars or the newest ones because collectors and re-sellers buy the best cars. I figure that it at least lets the kids get the code.

If the company asked me pull the video, I would do so.
 
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