While I can't scan it, I can compare it to the UPC font.

Here is what I have discovered.


Here's the scan frizzlefryd provided:




Now, here's the UPC font showing what it should look like for the numbers displayed in frizzlefryd's scan (780273072192, or, for purposes of the UPC font, W80273p@GBAIb):




As you can see, the last "check" digit in the UPC bar code in frizzlefryd's scan correctly matches. It appears to be the "219" that does not match the bar code:




Again, I can't scan it, but I can use the font to determine what number the bar code actually is showing. Here it is:




What has happened is an error with whoever is responsible for typing in the UPC bar code for the printer. The "219" portion of the bar code is incorrectly using the left side group characters from the UPC font instead of the right side group characters. The characters however are still "219," so that does verify the UPC code as printed on the back of the DVD cover.

To help explain further if you're confused...

The American UPC bar code system uses a specific bar code symbol for the left single digit, then specific bar code symbols for the left group of five numbers, then a separator symbol, then specific bar code symbols for the right group of five numbers, than finally a specific bar code symbol for the right check digit. In short, every position in the bar code has its own unique character or symbol.

For the UPC font, the left single digit is represented by:

P: 0
Q: 1
R: 2
S: 3
T: 4
U: 5
V: 6
W: 7
X: 8
Y: 9


The left group of five numbers is represented by the numbers themselves:

0: 0
1: 1
2: 2
3: 3
4: 4
5: 5
6: 6
7: 7
8: 8
9: 9


The separator is represented by the "p" character (lower case p).


The right group of five numbers is represented by:

@: 0
A: 1
B: 2
C: 3
D: 4
E: 5
F: 6
G: 7
H: 8
I: 9


And finally, the right check digit is represented by:

`: 0
a: 1
b: 2
c: 3
d: 4
e: 5
f: 6
g: 7
h: 8
i: 9

If you incorrectly use the number characters themselves (i.e., the left side group characters) for the right group of five numbers, it won't really show up to the untrained eye, as the number characters for both the left side group and right side group appear directly below the bar code symbols. However, if you look closely at the "219" part from both frizzlefryd's scan and the UPC font image, you can see an anomaly - the bar code symbols for the last right side group number and the right check digit overlap. This is why you were unable to scan it with a bar code reader. (No amount of "higher resolution scans" or any other kind of image manipulation will change that.)

I suspect that whoever entered the UPC code for the printer probably meant to make a change or correction to the last three digits on the right group of five numbers. They were probably something else originally, and they intended to change them to "219". However, instead of correctly typing in the right side group font characters - in this case, "BAI", they just typed in "219", which puts in the left side group symbols. The person who did this was probably either an assistant, intern, or someone who was not the person who normally does it, hence the mistake. It therefore follows that they probably also either forgot or didn't know to change the right side check digit, which Ken points out, should have been "4" or "d" for the font character.

Ultimately, the final decision here is up to Ken, but this does boil down to using an UPC code exactly as printed on the back of the DVD, even if it's in error, or correcting a mistake or misprint to follow industry standards.

It should be worth pointing out that if a sales clerk tries to scan this code into their register, it won't work, and it also won't work if they try to enter it manually because the right side check digit is wrong. It's likely that the printer or studio corrected this by placing stickers over the incorrect code, but did so by placing the stickers on the DVD case instead of the cover, so the cover as image scanned out of the case will show the error.

Personally, if the DVD is acquired without any kind of correction sticker, I would vote to enter it exactly as printed on the back of the cover, as this will help others identify their DVD's using the Invelos database. Instead of not allowing entry, I vote to simply use a warning telling the user that the code doesn't match industry standards and to double check it for accuracy. Of course, if there is a sticker with the correct code, then that is the UPC that should be used, and a note should be entered on submission. (Although, it is currently not possible to enter notes for initial submissions, something that I feel should be changed IMHO.)