I am looking for some information on universal product codes (UPC)
This has nothing to do with beekeeping but lots to do with marketing honey
so I hope some of you will respond.

First I'd like to tell you how much I don't know about the subject.

The system of using bar codes was perfected by the food handling industry
and was first used on June 26, 1974 ( Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio
scanned a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit). In Canada the system of bar
codes is administered by the Electronic Commerce Council of Canada (ECCC)
which is made up of big wigs in the grocery/manufacturing industry. Before
1997 bar codes were assigned to those who requested them, free of charge.
As of 1997 the ECCC began to charge producers and manufacturers for the
codes. The initial fee is $245.00 (plus tax) with an annual maintenance fee
of $550.00 if your company's gross sales are less than five million and
$795.00 (plus tax) if your company's gross sales are more than five
million. The ECCC calls itself a not-for-profit organization but "...
estimates that by eliminating typing errors and making the checkout process
more efficient, UPCs save the food industry alone $17 billion a year."
(Canadian Press Newswire, August 19 2002)

In a conversation with the ECCC I was told that its counter part in the
U.S.A. ( the Uniform Code Council or UCC) will also begin to charge for
UPCs. The ECCC also plans to begin "attacking" companies in Canada that
were grandfathered in before 1997 and forcing them to start paying the
yearly fee.

My question to beekeepers in various countries is, do you have to pay this
fee?

By the way the UCC estimates it will run out of 12 diget codes as of 2005.
Then they and the ECCC would like everyone to reprint their labels with a
13 diget code so that the North American system becomes compatible with the
European system. Also being developed is a radio transmission chip that can
be put on a label so that it will tell the customer all sorts of things
about your product( eg. date it was packed, phase of the moon when it was
packed, how to use it, colour of your bees,  etc.).

My concern is that these fees and label changes will become so exorbitant
that the average beekeeper will no longer be able to afford them. This will
restrict access to a large part of our market.

Many beekeepers in this country have so far managed to ignore these
councils and simply get a printing company to create a UPC for them. These
work well in a local geographical area but you always run the risk that
they may conflict with someones 'official' code. And I don't like the sound
of the ECCC attacking non-compliance.

Any corrections, enlightenment or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Ted