Prove that the idea is mine

"I designed an original line of clothes. In order to have proof of the date on which my designs were created I decided to submit an i-DEPOT. A short while later I discovered that my creations were being copied by a competitor. I immediately took legal steps and thanks to my i-DEPOT I was able to prove very easily that I was the one who had devised the collection."

Idea, concept, creation or prototype?

Prevent someone else from stealing your idea

Submitting an i-DEPOT at an early stage of your innovation process provides you with a tool that will help prevent somebody else from making off with your idea. 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 BOIP will register your name and the date on which you submitted your creation.

You can use the i-DEPOT to register a variety of items, including:

  • an idea
  • a concept
  • a format
  • an agreement
  • a document
  • a prototype
  • an invention
  • a process
  • a design
  • software
  • a photograph
  • a scale model
  • a melody
  • a drawing
  • a slogan
  • etc.

The i-DEPOT: cheap and reliable

The Benelux Office for intellectual Property will observe secrecy with regard to your i-DEPOT and the fact that you hold it. This enables you to take your time and elaborate your idea when it suits you best. The price of the i-DEPOT can’t possibly be an objection, so there is every reason to turn registering your ideas from a good intention into a good habit.

A first step in your innovation process

The i-DEPOT can serve as evidence in the event of a conflict. This means 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. In the course of the research and development process, moreover, the i-DEPOT serves as a convenient tool to help you secure your position. For example, combined with a confidentiality agreement the i-DEPOT offers the space you need to be able to negotiate freely with interested parties about financing and production methods for your invention.

In other words: the i-DEPOT allows you to give free rein to your creativity.

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