What is PROOFIP

PROOFIP is an online service that generates evidence proving your intellectual asset existed at a specific point in time, and that it has not been altered since then. It complements existing intellectual property systems by helping to safeguard your intellectual assets. Anyone can use the service, generating digital evidence in a matter of seconds online, for a wide variety of use cases.

What is Electronic timestamp?

An electronic timestamp is a piece of data in electronic form, which binds other electronic data to a particular time establishing evidence that these data existed at that time.

An electronic timestamp aims to achieve the same goal as a “paper based” timestamp, i.e. establishing that a document, sending, or act has been established before or at a specific date and time.

The timestamp, i.e. the signed/sealed combination of the hash of the document and date & time, proves that the hashed document and its content existed at that date & time.

What is PROOFIP Certificate?

Each timestamp is accompanied by the issuance of a corresponding PDF Certificate, containing information about the owner of the processed file, the name, the unique token (a hash) of the file and the exact time of its fixation in the Time Stamping Service.

In case someone tries to challenge time priority on content from the timestamped file, the Certificate will help to protect your rights as legally admissible evidence in the courts.

The Certificate has an unlimited validity period. Online verification of the Certificate is free.

What is PROOFIP token?

PROOFIP token is a timestamped digital fingerprint that proves the existence of a digital file at a specific date and time. Technically, it is an encrypted file generated using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology. A hash code of the original file, generated by a local browser’s one-way algorithm, which uniquely identifies the original file. A token can be generated for any size of digital file.

The token cannot be opened or modified. It provides certainty that the date and time the token was created is exact and has not been tampered with. It can be thought of as a digital notary-type service, which is admissible in courts and can be used as evidence in the context of legal disputes.

How does the token saved?

We recommend you download the Certificate with the corresponding token and securely store it together with an original digital file. We also recommend to appropriately name them in order to identify both of them as a package.

You can download your token any time from the PROOFIP service by logging into your account. Not any party, not even PROOFIP, will be able to modify a token once generated for digital file.

Why do I need to safe the original file and ensure it hasn't been altered?

The token contains a digital fingerprint (hash code) of the original digital file. If the file is altered in any way (even changing 1 character) then the digital fingerprint will be different and there will be no way to prove that the concrete token corresponds to the same digital file. If there is ever a dispute or legal process related to your digital file, you need to be able to prove that the PROOFIP token, and its timestamp, correspond exactly to the digital file.

What is token validation and how does it work?

Verification of a token validates the exact date and time the token was generated for a specific digital file.

Owners of the original file or any third party can verify a token in PROOFIP service. To verify a token, you must provide two items:

• The unaltered original file for which the token was created
• The token from the corresponding Certificate

The verification process generates a new hash code from the original file and compares this with the hash code contained in the token. If they match, the verification confirms that the token was generated from that exact original file, as well as the date and time when this happened.

How long are the Certificate and the token valid?

There are no time limit to the validity of the Certificate and the token.

You can verify your token as long as you can provide the corresponding unaltered original digital file.

What happens if the original file is modified?

If the original file has been modified in any way, the verification will fail, and won't be able to confirm that the file existed at the date and time it was processed.

Does PROOFIP store my original file?

No, never. We do not read or store your original file - it always stays in your possession. Technically, a strong cryptographic hashing function processes your digital document while it is still in its original location, producing a hash code that uniquely identifies that file. The hash value is then used to create the token. It is not possible to read or recreate the original file from the hash code, ensuring 100% confidentiality.

What are the Legal Properties?

PROOFIP proves that a digital file existed at a specific date and time and that the file was in the physical possession of the person requesting the token. PROOFIP tokens can be used by creators as proof of them being in possession of an original creative work before anyone else. The tokens are admissible in jurisdictions that recognize national, regional, or international standards such as in eIDAS.

The accuracy of the date and time in a qualified time stamp (eIDAS) and the integrity of the corresponding time-stamped data are legally presumed and recognized as such all over the EU.

What is eIDAS Regulation?

On July 1, 2016, Regulation (EU) 910/2014 entered into force (hereafter called the eIDAS Regulation), which lays down the rules on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the EU in all Member States. The eIDAS Regulation is building a digital single market as it provides one common legal framework for all parties.

It provides a predictable regulatory environment for electronic trust services, namely electronic time stamps. It is possible to use these electronic time stamps as evidence in legal proceedings in all EU Member States contributing to their general cross-border use. Courts, or other bodies in charge of legal proceedings, cannot discard them as evidence only because they are electronic.

What technical standards do you use?

Our technical infrastructure is designed to meet the industry standards that define a Trusted Time Stamping Authority (TSA).

RFC 3161- timestamps generated by PROOFIP are compliant with RFC 3161, an IETF standard, that provides specifications for the implementation of the X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Time-Stamp Protocol (TSP). PROOFIP conforms to the requirements specified in the eIDAS Regulation.