This document specifies the different approaches for using HTTP URIs to encode globally unique identifiers. It specifies a dual use data structure. It is both an HTTP URI and a composition of structured item identification properties and optionally descriptive attributes. These can be decomposed and interpreted on their own and/or be used as a pointer to additional information.

Methods are described to enable identification uniqueness in the context of AIDC. These rely on either:

a)       identifiers, such as described in the ISO/IEC 15459 series^[7], in the path or query string independent of the internet domain name; or,

b)       the internet domain name.

The document further defines a basic common API for querying online services for information about identified items.