WIPO PROOF: a digital ownership system that works?

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced the launch of its WIPO PROOF service, which aims to generate reliable evidence of ownership by any person, company or organisation of their own works, creations, trade secrets, know-how or any of their intangible assets.

The service is provided entirely in a digital format and uses the application of electronic signature systems with time-stamping, which provides reliable evidence worldwide not only of the ownership of that which is to be protected, but also of the moment from which the person or organisation claims ownership.

This proof of time is of vital importance for the defence of rights over the intangible assets of any organisation, as it can allow allow the organisation to prove that it holds its own rights to other third parties that may have developed creations that could be considered a copy or plagiarism.

It also allows the organisation to deploy, as effectively as possible, the protection granted by the regulations on the protection of business secrets and on unfair competition.