decided that the technology for QR codes should be shared, and therefore released the QR code specification as an international standard by submitting it to The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for approval. As a result, the company gained patent rights in Japan as is generally required when applying to register international standards. Shortly after, announced that it would not exercise its patent rights while the ISO was considering its proposal. This fact has allowed merchants around the world to make use of QR codes without paying any royalty fees or registering with .