A: A bar code is a physical representation of a globally unique number*; this number is what uniquely identifies your music from everyone else’s. Without this unique identification sales would not be tracked which could lead to incorrect royalty payments or your music going out of stock from a retail outlet. Along with this, your music may not be accepted for sale by some online and retail outlets if it does not have a GS1 bar code/number allocated to it. (*within the GS1 system)

A: Each publisher of music products should join GS1 UK so that they have a direct link with the bar code issuing authority and can receive up to date information directly about anything affecting their use of these bar codes. The GS1 UK rules prevent companies from selling or leasing bar codes to other companies, and companies that do so may have their bar code numbers withdrawn. This would mean that your products would no longer be tracked uniquely using the bar codes.

A: Any organisation found to be selling or leasing its bar code numbers to another company will be contacted by GS1 UK and asked to stop. If this misuse of the GS1 numbering and bar coding system continues, the company may be expelled from GS1 UK after appropriate legal action.