Let us suppose you have safely stored your creation in an i-DEPOT. Over time though, you decide you would like to share the information about your creation after all, to be able to work more easily together with a new business partner, for instance. In that case, you can publish your i-DEPOT. Your i-DEPOT can then be consulted on i-D Space, an open-access marketplace, where all public i-DEPOTs can be found.
Going public? This is what you should look out for
If you have decided you want to make your i-DEPOT public, you should keep in mind that patents and designs are required to be novel. This means that the creation cannot be already in the public domain. Once you make your creation public in i-D Space, it is then in the public domain and, consequently, no longer new. For patents in the Netherlands, this means that you can no longer file a patent application in respect of your creation.
For designs in the Benelux, there are a few exceptions, such as the period of grace for example. This means that if the disclosure to the public occurred within the twelve months preceding the date of application or the date of priority of the design registration, this does not affect the assessment of whether the design is novel or not. In other words, after disclosure to the public you still have twelve months to file your application to register your design.
Searching in i-D Space
You can search in i-D Space using, for example:
- an i-DEPOT number;
- the name of the petitioner;
- areas of application of the i-DEPOT products and services.
Click on the i-DEPOT number in the results list to view the public content of that i-DEPOT and the associated data.
Have you found an i-DEPOT on i-D Space that infringes on your rights or that constitutes a criminal offence? If so, you can lodge an objection.
