Prove that the idea was mine

"I have found a way to distil petrol using a new process. Because I do not have the financial means to start producing my machine on a larger scale myself, I contacted a couple of major manufacturers. I have already submitted an i-DEPOT because then I have proof that it is my invention, should one of my business contacts try to patent it."

What is an i-DEPOT?

Reliable evidence...

In the event of a dispute, the i-DEPOT is a fully reliable tool that allows you to prove that a certain idea, concept or process already existed on a specific day.

The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property will register your name and the date on which you submitted your i-DEPOT. You will receive a certificate from an official and reliable body that issues a 100% guarantee of the authenticity of your i-DEPOT. The contents of your i-DEPOT will not be revealed to anyone. The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property observes full confidentiality with regard to your i-DEPOT.

This evidence is extremely valuable and useful in numerous situations, particularly when intellectual property rights are at issue – for example copyright, design and model rights and patent rights – but also in the case of unfair competition. Would you like to learn more about i-DEPOT and its significance? Please read the paper " i-DEPOT : one less worry" by Brigitte Dauwe, lawyer and partner at Stibbe Brussel.

...but no intellectual property right

The i-DEPOT can be an important first step in your innovation process, for example in the preliminary phase of an application for a trademark, design or patent. However, the i-DEPOT emphatically does not in itself create any intellectual property right.

This means that you will have to seek legal protection after the design phase. It is up to you to use the possibilities offered by the existing statutory regulations. Given that the BOIP will not reveal the contents of your i-DEPOT, the novelty required for a design or patent is not jeopardised. However, you will also have to observe secrecy regarding the i-DEPOT yourself if you want to be able to apply for protection through patent or design law at a later stage. This is why we advise you to discuss the possibilities for protection with an expert on intellectual property (a trademarks, designs or patent agent or a specialised lawyer).