Answer

Consider bar codes as a printed version of the Morse code. Different bar and space patterns are used to represent different characters, similar to the combination of long and short sound or light signals in Morse, which represent the alphabet.

BarCodes on products are made for Inventory Control purposes and for Identifying the Manufacturer of a product. Since it is your product, I believe you should get your own.

Contact EAN International http://www.ean.be  (EAN). EAN International maintains an excellent FAQ, standards information and a list of member organizations around the world, many of which have web sites. The EAN site is a must visit if you need to put a bar code on your product.

You must apply for membership and you will be assigned a unique company identification number for use on all your products.

EAN advises that to obtain a GS1 bar code contact a GS1 office in your country. To find out if there is a GS1 office near you visit our GS1 Worldwide Sites page.

The main office for the UK is:

Staple Court
11 Staple Inn Buildings
WC1V 7QH London

Phone: + 44 20 7092 3500
Fax: + 44 20 7681 2290

Web site: http://www.gs1uk.org
Email: info@gs1uk.org

Other information:

There is a online portal for barcodes

The Bar Code Implementation Guide: Using Bar Codes in Distribution by Stephen Pearce, Richard D. Bushnell

Bar Code Compliance Labeling for the Supply Chain : How to Do It by Rick Bushnell, Jim Dooley