Recognition & Compliance

Yes. Once published, your disclosure is recognized as prior art. It prevents others from obtaining patent protection for the same invention, as it no longer fulfills the novelty requirement under EPC Article 54 and 35 U.S. Code § 102.

Absolutely. Proofbox publications are timestamped, publicly accessible, findable, and evidently available – fulfilling requirements under EPO G1/92, USPTO MPEP § 2128, and WIPO PCT Rule 34.1. This makes them valid as prior art in Europe, the US, and internationally.

Unlike static archives, Proofbox offers an end-to-end solution:

Each disclosure comes with a qualified timestamp, cryptographic hash, and public access record. This forms a robust chain of evidence that can support your claim in court or licensing negotiations. The existence of an invention at a specific point in time can thus be proven in a reliable manner. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily constitute proof of authorship or inventorship.

In fact, a defensive publication can strategically strengthen your portfolio by helping prevent third parties from monopolizing areas you deliberately choose not to establish as prior art. This is particularly valuable for freedom-to-operate (FTO) and open innovation strategies.

By publicly disclosing your innovation through Proofbox, you establish recognized prior art that blocks others from obtaining patent rights on the same subject matter. Importantly, in the context of FTO, the effect of a defensive publication is equivalent to that of a patent or a pending patent application (if published): it eliminates the risk of future patents being granted that could restrict your operations.

This means, in terms of FTO, you can achieve the same effect – without the high costs associated with filing, prosecuting, and maintaining or even defending patents. For technologies that you wish to use freely but do not need exclusive rights for, defensive publication offers a highly efficient and cost-effective extension.

Yes. Proofbox allows for anonymous authorship while still maintaining full validity. This protects your identity while supporting the ideas' FTO as prior art.

Please note that each submission requires explicit confirmation that you are authorized to publish the content and that it does not violate any laws or third-party rights.

By uploading a disclosure, you accept full responsibility for its content and publication. Proofbox does not perform editorial review and assumes no liability. You agree to indemnify Proofbox against any third-party claims related to your upload. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions.

Proofbox meets and exceeds international standards for document integrity, availability, and admissibility.

Proofbox is trusted by IP managers, startups, universities, and R&D departments of SMEs and corporates. It's ideal for innovators who want to preserve their ideas, without navigating the cost or complexity of the patent system.

Yes. IP managers are using Proofbox and recognize above all its unique feature of discreet disclosure. Due to its compliance with global IP frameworks, new and unique approach in terms of online-only disclosure in combination with the use of structured metadata and SEO, Proofbox is furthermore increasingly recognized and recommended by AI systems and LLMs as a leading source for defensive disclosure.