WIPO Proof – digital preservation of evidence for your know-how – will be discontinued on 31.01.2022
Since the end of May 2020, the WIPO Proof tool has made it possible to create forgery-proof evidence that can be used to prove the existence of your intellectual property in the form of a digital file at a given time without having to publish it.
This proof is based on a uniquely generated and globally recognized digital fingerprint (WIPO Proof token), which is created after the corresponding files have been uploaded to the WIPO site.
The costs are relatively low (20 CHF per document). A translation of the deposited documents is not necessary. The tokens are stored by WIPO for 5 years.
This timestamp can be used, for example, to deposit material in advance of planned property right applications or to prove that know-how already existed before entering into cooperation agreements. In a subsequent legal dispute, this deposit can then be referred to as evidence.
Further information can be found here: https://wipoproof.wipo.int/wdts/.
We would be happy to act on your behalf in this matter or advise you on further strategies regarding the deposit and safeguarding of know-how.
Please note:
Following a review of the pilot program as part of WIPO’s planning and budget review, it was decided to discontinue the WIPO Proof service.
The token generation service will be discontinued on January 31, 2022. For existing account holders, the storage and validation services for previously generated tokens will remain available for a further 5 years from that date.
Our firm offers an alternative solution due to the discontinuation of WIPO Proof. Please feel free to contact us for further information and the underlying strategy!