Professions
Lab notebooks and proof of prior existence in research
A discovery takes months to build. Timestamp every step, so you know who found what, and when.
Research is shared before it is protected
A result is discussed at a consortium meeting, in a report to a funder, in a draft paper or on a conference poster. Often it is neither patented nor published yet.
The lab notebook is there to date these steps. Its dates must be reliable. Ipocamp timestamps every page, every dataset and every version, in a public ledger that no one can rewrite.
An example
The day a partner files a patent
What happens
Picture a research team in a consortium. A year after a working meeting, a partner files a patent on its own for a process developed jointly.
Without dated proof
The notes exist, but in files whose dates are easy to change and in incomplete paper notebooks. The team struggles to show it had mastered the process before the partner's filing.
With Ipocamp
The notebook pages, raw data and protocols were timestamped over the months. The team shows what it had developed, and when. Its file is ready for its legal team and its patent attorneys.
Is your situation different?
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Automatically generated text, for illustration only, based on the sentence you entered. It describes an evidentiary position (what you could prove, and how). For an analysis suited to your situation, ask a legal professional for advice.
With Ipocamp
Timestamping research continuously
Every day
Every notebook page
Digital or scanned pages are deposited the same day. Each file gets its own timestamp and its author.
Data
Raw data and protocols
Datasets, analysis scripts and protocols are dated as they stood at the time of the experiment.
Before sharing
Reports, drafts, posters
Timestamp the exact version you present to a partner, a funder or a conference.
As a team
Automatic deposits
As an option for large accounts and high volumes, an agent installed in your infrastructure timestamps every file dropped into a folder. Only the file fingerprint leaves your premises. The API connects Ipocamp to your other tools.
In a disagreement
A file that is ready
Certificates can be checked with standard tools, without going through Ipocamp. Your advisers use them directly.
What dated proof gives you
Against a patent filed by someone else
If you already possessed an invention in good faith before a third party patented it, French law lets you keep using it on a personal basis. This is called prior personal possession. It is proved with dates.
In a consortium
Dated deposits show each team's contribution. They inform how results are shared between partners.
For your funders
A dated record documents the progress of the work, for example for a French research tax credit (CIR) file.
Frequently asked questions
What is a digital lab notebook worth as evidence?
Its value rests on how reliable its dates are. Timestamping every page in a public ledger that no one can rewrite gives your dates a solid basis that a third party can check.
Should I timestamp before filing a patent?
A patent remains the reference protection for an invention. Timestamping your work before filing documents its timeline. This helps in a disagreement with a partner, or to establish prior personal possession.
Does my data stay confidential?
Ipocamp timestamps the file fingerprint, a code computed from its content that identifies it without revealing it. With the API, or with the agent offered as an option to large accounts, the fingerprint is computed in your infrastructure and only the fingerprint is sent.
Does the legal protection cover patents?
The included legal protection covers copyright on every plan, plus trademarks and designs on the Professional plan. Patents and trade secrets are excluded. For a patent-related need, contact our team.
Can deposits be automated?
Yes. The agent timestamps every file dropped into a folder, and the API connects Ipocamp to your tools. The API is included from the Independent Pro plan. The agent is available as an option for large accounts and heavy users: contact our team.