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i-DEPOT vs a timestamp. An official Benelux date stamp is not the same thing as a Bitcoin-anchored fingerprint of a file you keep.

Q: Is an i-DEPOT recognised in the EU?

BOIP states that the validity of the i-DEPOT certificate is recognised throughout the EU. That is BOIP’s wording. How a particular court or office treats the certificate still depends on the facts and the rules that apply. A TimeBind is not an i-DEPOT and is not a qualified eIDAS trust service.

TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes.

A TimeBind is a dated, checkable record that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. The fingerprint is made in the browser, and the file stays on your device. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free; after that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.

i-DEPOT vs a timestamp: the short answer

An i-DEPOT is an official product of the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP). BOIP describes it as legal proof bearing a date stamp: it can show that the content you submitted existed on that date. It does not give you a monopoly, and it is not a trade mark, design right, patent or a substitute for copyright (which can arise automatically).

A TimeBind is not an official BOIP record. It is a dated fingerprint of an exact file you keep, made in your browser, never uploaded, and anchored to Bitcoin. It is not a qualified eIDAS time stamp. Use an i-DEPOT when you want a confidential official Benelux deposit with a set retention period. Use a TimeBind when you want to date working files without depositing them. Many people can use both. Prices and product facts below were checked on each provider’s official pages on 12 November 2026 and may change. This is general information, not legal advice.

i-DEPOT vs a TimeBind at a glance

	i-DEPOT (BOIP)	TimeBind
What it is	An official Benelux date-and-existence deposit, with a certificate signed using a qualified trust service provider.	A dated, checkable fingerprint of an exact file, anchored to Bitcoin.
Who provides it	The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property.	TimeBinder, as a self-serve app. The date comes from a Bitcoin block.
Your file uploaded?	Yes. You submit the content to BOIP, which stores it encrypted. BOIP says the content is not sent away to be stamped.	No. The SHA-256 fingerprint is made in the browser.
Confidential by default?	Yes. You can later publish all or part of it on i-D Space, for a fee.	The ledger holds only the fingerprint, not the file. You keep the original.
Source of the date	A date stamp applied with GlobalSign, which BOIP identifies as a qualified trust service provider under eIDAS (Regulation 910/2014).	The Bitcoin block the fingerprint was recorded in.
Retention	You choose 5 or 10 years, then you can extend (currently €26 for five further years).	The on-chain record does not expire. You must still keep the exact original and the certificate.
Gives an exclusive right?	No. BOIP says it does not give you a monopoly.	No.
Cost (12 Nov 2026)	€37 for 5 years or €53 for 10 years, VAT-exempt, on BOIP’s fee page. Publication €21; an NDA €15.	First Pooled TimeBind free; then from US$5, or US$15 for ASAP.

Sources: BOIP, Your idea in an i-DEPOT and the i-DEPOT fees. Paper i-DEPOTs are being discontinued on 1 April 2026, according to BOIP. Terms: eIDAS timestamp, trusted timestamp, blockchain timestamp, SHA-256. Tool: SHA-256 hash checker.

When to use which

Use an i-DEPOT

You want an official Benelux deposit, kept confidential by default
You are happy to submit the content to BOIP for a 5- or 10-year term
You may also want BOIP’s optional NDA or to publish on i-D Space later

Use a dated file record

You want to date working files without depositing them with an office
The files should never leave your device
You are dating many versions, or people outside the Benelux will check a certificate and a transaction ID

An i-DEPOT is a strong official option in the Benelux. A TimeBind does not replace it, and it does not carry the eIDAS presumption that a qualified time stamp can carry. See also RFC 3161 vs a blockchain timestamp.

What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t

What it shows

That an exact file existed no later than the recorded time
That a later copy still matches, bit for bit, if the fingerprint is the same

What it doesn’t show

Who made the file, who owns it, or who holds the copyright
That the contents are true, original, or human-made
Whether AI was used, or how a court, platform or insurer will treat the record

The SHA-256 fingerprint is made in your browser. The file is never uploaded. The record is anchored to Bitcoin. This is general information, not legal advice.

Your file’s fingerprint, anchored to a global network secured by real electricity and cryptography.

Editing a file—including with AI—changes its fingerprint, not its existing network record.

How this works

Your file’s SHA-256 fingerprint, a short code worked out from its exact contents, is made in your browser, and the file itself stays on your device. A cryptographic commitment to that fingerprint, which may be combined with others, is then anchored in a block on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin is secured by proof of work: computers around the world spend real electricity to add each block, and changing an earlier block would mean redoing that work faster than the rest of the network. Until that block is confirmed, your proof is pending. Once the Bitcoin anchoring is confirmed, you can verify the proof against that recorded commitment. The confirmed record can then be checked; Pooled TimeBinds are checked through TimeBinder, while ASAP TimeBinds can also be checked independently. If you check the file later and its fingerprint still matches, that shows the file existed no later than the recorded time. The record doesn’t show who made the file, whether AI was used, or that its contents are true.

Your filestays on your device
FingerprintSHA-256
Network timestampon Bitcoin

For inventors and product designers who will use an AI tool or file a disclosure, see also the free AI-assisted invention record checklist. It cannot decide inventorship or patentability, and it is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Does an i-DEPOT give me copyright or a monopoly?

No. BOIP says an i-DEPOT is legal proof bearing a date stamp, and that it does not give you a monopoly the way a trade mark would. Copyright in the Benelux, as BOIP also notes, can arise automatically in an original work. An i-DEPOT is a dated official deposit, not a substitute for a trade mark, design right or patent.

Is an i-DEPOT recognised in the EU?

BOIP states that “the validity of the i-DEPOT certificate is recognised throughout the EU.” That is BOIP’s wording. How a particular court or office treats the certificate still depends on the facts and the rules that apply. This page does not predict a legal outcome. A TimeBind is not an i-DEPOT and is not a qualified eIDAS trust service.

Does BOIP upload or see my files?

You submit content to BOIP for the i-DEPOT, and BOIP stores it encrypted. BOIP says the content is not sent away to have the date stamp and signature applied, and that a qualified trust service provider (GlobalSign) is used to sign the electronic certificate under the eIDAS Regulation. By default the i-DEPOT stays confidential. A TimeBind works differently: the file never leaves your device, and only a fingerprint is recorded.

Can I use an i-DEPOT and a timestamp together?

Yes. An i-DEPOT is an official Benelux deposit with a retention period. A TimeBind is a Bitcoin-anchored record of a file you keep. They can sit side by side if you want both an official deposit and a fingerprint of a working file.

What does a TimeBind cost?

Your first Pooled TimeBind is free. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.

Related comparisons

Date a working file without depositing it

If you also want a fingerprint of a file you keep on your own device, you can TimeBind it in the browser.

Make your first TimeBind free → See plans and pricing

Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Your browser makes the fingerprint and the file stays on your device. A TimeBind shows a file existed no later than the recorded time. It doesn’t show who made it.

Open TimeBinder and timestamp a file

Fingerprint the file in your browser. The file stays on your device. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free; then from US$5, or US$15 for ASAP.

See plans and pricing