The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) is offering the i-DEPOT electronic tool for free during June. Hugues Derème, Deputy Director General, and Saskia Smits, International Cooperation Officer, explain more:

The i-DEPOT, the electronic tool allowing one to record the existence of an idea, is temporarily free!

Normally, an i-DEPOT costs €37 (for five years). However, during the whole month of June 2020, anyone can file i-DEPOTs free of charge, without limit.

Filing is available online 24/7 and it takes only a few clicks and a few minutes to receive an official certificate. This is a very useful tool for any entrepreneurs and creators!

What is the i-DEPOT?

The i-DEPOT is a means of proof, allowing one to establish the existence of an idea at a given date. It can include any kind of content: a text, a multimedia file, a drawing, a concept, a project…

The content remains secret (except if the holder wants to publish it). The i-DEPOT is an official title of which the legal value is granted by an international treaty (BCIP). In addition, because the i-DEPOT is sealed with an electronic signature conforming with the EU Regulation, it is legally binding and admissible as valid evidence in any court of law in the EU.

Although it does not confer an IP right, it is the ideal tool to prevent conflicts and safeguard rights. With the digital version of the i-DEPOT being in use since 2007, BOIP has already received more than 50,000 filings from all over the world.

Because the i-DEPOT, as a means of proof, is not limited to a specific territory, we deem it useful to send this information to you, so that you can spread the word and give entrepreneurs and creators in your region or network the opportunity to benefit from this extraordinary action.

Equally, do not hesitate to let us know if your organization has tools or solutions that you would like to communicate about: this way, we pool our efforts and make it work!

You can download a complete communication kit about the action and find out more on our website or contact our Information Centre.