The EAN / UPC barcode is a system created in 1973 by the Uniform Product Code Council of the United States (currently Uniform Code Council, Inc. (UCC). First, UCC is a 12-digit identification number and The corresponding UCC (Uniform Product Code) barcode was developed. The UCC barcode was first used in 1974. Following the success of the UCC system, it was used outside of North America in 1977. The European Article Numbering Association (now EAN International) was established to develop an interoperable system for the EAN system, which was developed as a superset of the UCC system and uses a 13-digit identification number. However, the data structure and barcodes are the same. Therefore, the EAN.UCC system has been extended. Currently, the 14-digit GTIN format is used for full global compatibility. It ensures the uniqueness of trade identification numbers around the world.

Here, the barcodes (UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN-128, ITF-14) defined in the "EAN.UCC General Specifications" and their bases. Describes the barcodes (JAN-8, JAN-13, ISBN-10, ISBN-13).