The ever-changing digital world, on one hand, creates a great number of digital data pertaining to innovative and creative ideas, but on the other hand raises questions on misuse and infringement of these.

In this context, WIPO has launched an online digital evidence service called WIPO PROOF, as of 27 May 2020, in order to create a reliable tamper-proof evidence on the existence of a digital file at a given moment in time, to reveal the previous ownership, and to lay a foundation for any eventual claim for an intellectual property right.

WIPO PROOF can be requested pertaining to any digital file from trade secrets to scripts, musical scores and any other kind of creative works, research results to large data sets, artificial intelligence algorithms to any business record, without considering whether they are protected as intellectual property right.

The service creates a date- and time-stamped digital fingerprint of the files or data, namely, WIPO PROOF token, which can be used as evidence in a legal dispute.

Any real or legal person can benefit from digital evidence services on WIPO PROOF by creating an account and purchasing a WIPO PROOF token. WIPO PROOF tokens should be purchased one at a time or as multiple tokens at reduced rates valid during a two year period.

The owners of the original file or any third party can verify a WIPO PROOF token by connecting to the WIPO PROOF online service.

In conclusion, although WIPO PROOF does not substitute an intellectual property right registration, it is still expected to become highly effective in terms of protection of intellectual assets in the future, as it is a widely accepted and cost-effective service bringing facilitating evidence on previous claims of ownership.

You may reach WIPO PROOF at this link.