The World Intellectual Property Organization1 (WIPO) has launched a new online business service - WIPO PROOF. It furnishes tamper-proof evidence of any digital file including data sets, in many formats. WIPO PROOF helps innovators and creators take verifiable actions to safeguard the many outputs of their work in the journey from concept to development to commercialization.

WIPO PROOF is an online service that rapidly generates tamper-proof evidence, which proves that a digital file existed at a specific point in time and that it has not been altered since that time. A WIPO PROOF token is generated along with a date- and time-stamped digital fingerprint of the file or data, which can be used as evidence in a legal dispute. WIPO PROOF tokens can be purchased one at a time for a modest fee, or in bundles of multiple tokens at reduced rates valid during a two-year period.

WIPO PROOF tokens can be used to establish prior existence, to help prevent misuse and misappropriation, and can be useful in safeguarding intellectual assets at all stages of development from concept to commercialization, whether or not they eventually become formal IP rights. WIPO PROOF complements WIPO's existing IP systems, providing another tool for the strategic global management of intellectual assets.

WIPO PROOF has many applications including in trade secret strategies, where it is used to certify the existence of a file or data at a specific point in time. It is a type of concrete action that underscores the value of the intellectual asset value and demonstrates that steps were taken to safeguard it. WIPO PROOF is also useful in managing valuable data sets such as scientific research data or data for training AI models because the existence and possession of each iteration of a data set can be formally documented in a matter of seconds.

WIPO PROOF is accessible to anyone who can use the secure online website to request a WIPO PROOF token for a specific digital file. WIPO does not read the file's contents nor does it store a copy of it. WIPO PROOF's secure, one-way algorithm interacts locally with the requestor's browser to create a unique digital fingerprint of the file. Additionally, anyone - even third parties - can validate WIPO PROOF tokens on the website by following a few easy steps.

WIPO PROOF uses Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology to generate WIPO PROOF tokens. PKI technology is a well-established and reliable cryptographic technology that is internationally recognized and accepted digital certification method. Additionally, WIPO PROOF has been designed and developed conforming to eIDAS standards which are amongst the most robust and stringent standards in the world. WIPO PROOF tokens deliver the highest level of certainty that the date and time on the token is exact and has not been tampered with.

Since innovative and creative activities in today's world are on the rise, a vast array of data files containing valuable content are produced that can easily be misused or manipulated. Therefore, WIPO proof mitigates the risk of future legal disputes along with laying down the foundation of registration of formal IP rights.

Footnote

1. https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2020/article_0012.html

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