[TriLUG] central bar-code database?

[Greg Brown]

All:

Is there such a thing has a "central" bar code database?  A central DB to
query a bar code that will return basic information like manufacturer, name
of product, stuff like that?  All the POS systems I've ever worked with had
to have data manually entered, product by product, and defined by a human
with product names, etc.  Granted, one would have to set the prices
manually, but it seems there ought to be a way to query a centralized
database for this information.  If there was not a central DB to track all
this information how can it be assured that products are given unique bar
codes?  I would imagine it's something like Ethernet addresses were you have
a manufacturer field and a unique code for that one device.

Anyway... central query able bar code DB.  Does this exist?  A quick google
search seems to say "no".

Greg