Agence pour la Protection des Programmes
APP is a French non-profit association and trusted third party, founded in 1981, that provides probatory digital deposit, software escrow, IP audit, and timestamping services to 18,000 members across Europe and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Agence pour la Protection des Programmes does
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes (APP) is a French non-profit association founded in 1981 and headquartered in Paris, operating as a trusted third party for digital intellectual property protection. It serves approximately 18,000 members across varied sectors, providing probatory deposit services for software, mobile applications, databases, websites, and strategic data, with over 200,000 deposits processed to date. Its core product is the InterDeposit WEB platform, a member portal accessible 24/7 that supports deposit creation, timestamping, contract management, portfolio viewing, and certificate issuance, including automated Git-based source code deposits integrated with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps.
The product portfolio extends beyond deposit to include software escrow (entiercement), IP audits (powered by Vaultinum, which scans source code for undeclared open-source components), timestamping (powered by Evidency, a qualified eIDAS trust service provider certified by ANSSI), infringement documentation, rights transfer procedures, and standardized contract templates for licensing, publishing, and escrow. APP's deposit certificates are recognized by courts across all 181 Berne Convention signatory countries, and its services are aligned with French CPI requirements and eIDAS regulation.
APP generates revenue through recurring annual membership fees and fees for tiered services (standard, verified, controlled deposits, automated Git deposits, escrow agreements, IP audits, and rights transfer procedures). GTM is primarily self-serve digital via InterDeposit WEB, supplemented by direct enterprise consultation for complex escrow and portfolio mandates, and driven by content marketing, SEO, and peer referrals from legal professionals.
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Agence pour la Protection des Programmes
- Legal name
- Agence pour la Protection des Programmes
- Website
- https://app.asso.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- APP is a French non-profit association and trusted third party, founded in 1981, that provides probatory digital deposit, software escrow, IP audit, and timestamping services to 18,000 members across Europe and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intellectual Property Protection Services
- NAICS
- Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- App Security, Compliance & Review Automation Platforms (BPAMADAJ)
Keywords
Where Agence pour la Protection des Programmes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Fees and Deposit Services: APP generates revenue through annual membership fees which grant access to deposit services, portfolio management, escrow management, and other IP protection services. Members pay for various service tiers including standard deposits, verified deposits, controlled deposits, automated Git-based deposits, escrow agreements, IP audits, and rights transfer procedures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Transfer of Rights (per tranche of 5 creations) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
APP safeguards digital creations by providing probatory deposit services for software, mobile applications, databases, websites, and strategic data, alongside software escrow, IP audits, timestamping, and standardized IP contract templates. Members access these services through the InterDeposit WEB online platform, with deposit certificates recognized as legal evidence across Berne Convention signatory countries.
Product overview
APP operates as a trusted third-party organization offering a unified digital asset protection platform centered on the InterDeposit WEB online deposit system. The core offering comprises probatory deposit services for software, mobile applications, databases, websites, and strategic data, supplemented by software escrow (entiercement), intellectual property audits, and timestamping services. Additional modules include automated Git-based source code deposits, rights transfer procedures, and standardized contract templates for software licensing, publishing, and escrow agreements. The service portfolio serves both individual developers and multinational enterprises seeking to protect and prove ownership of their digital creations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- InterDeposit WEB: The integrated deposit platform connected to the Member Space, enabling online deposits, portfolio management, and 24/7 certificate access.
Products and services
- InterDeposit WEB (Online Deposit Platform) Secure online member platform for creating probatory deposits, managing contracts, viewing portfolio of deposits, and accessing deposit certificates 24/7. Enables digital deposits in a few clicks with probatory archiving.
- Probatory Deposit Service (Dépôt) Probatory deposit service for protecting digital creations including software, mobile applications, databases, websites, and strategic data. Available in Standard, Verified, Controlled, and automated Git-based variants, with deposits timestamped, encrypted, and archived.
- Software Escrow (Entiercement) Software escrow service that secures access to deposited materials (source code, technical documentation, plans) for clients in case of supplier failure. Includes access clause management allowing conditional release under pre-defined contractual terms.
- Intellectual Property Audit (Audit de PI) Intellectual property audit service with source code scanning to detect undeclared open-source components presenting high litigation risk, delivered in partnership with Vaultinum.
- Timestamping Service (Horodatage) Document timestamping and certification service that incontestably proves the existence of critical documents at a given date and time, delivered in partnership with Evidency under eIDAS regulation.
- Infringement Documentation Service (Constater une Infraction) Service for documenting and establishing proof of infringement of digital creations, providing legal evidence for IP enforcement proceedings.
- Transfer of Rights Procedure (Transfert de Droits) Rights transfer procedure for updating deposit ownership following rights assignment or universal asset transfer, preserving deposit seniority and history. Priced at 360€ HT per tranche of 5 creations transferred regardless of number of deposits per creation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Three million euros awarded in damages in Generix v. ACSEP case (Marseille T.J., Sept. 23, 2021), where APP deposit certificates were used to establish software copyright ownership and prove source code copying at 98% identity.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Agence pour la Protection des Programmes
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature3 records
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- VaultinumcoreVaultinum powers the IP audit service offered by APP. The audit service includes source code scanning to detect any undeclared open-source components that present high litigation risk. Vaultinum provides technical expertise that complements APP's deposit and certification services.
- EvidencycoreEvidency provides the timestamping service offered by APP, enabling users to incontrovertibly prove the existence of critical documents at a given date and time. Evidency is a qualified trust service provider certified by ANSSI (Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information) in accordance with eIDAS regulation.
- JP KARSENTY & AssociésminorJP KARSENTY & Associés contributes to APP's webinar program. Counsel Pierre Trusson animates webinars on IP topics such as web scraping and database law, providing expert legal perspectives that enrich APP's educational content offering.
- Derriennic AssociatesminorLaw firm Derriennic contributed to APP's webinar on copyright burden of proof reform. François-Pierre Lani, recognized specialist in computer law and new technologies, co-animated the webinar with Sylvie Rozenfeld, Editor-in-Chief of Expertises des systèmes d'information.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Source Code Escrow International (Praxiem): Specialized software source code escrow service provider serving software vendors and licensees. Directly comparable to APP's entiercement (escrow) offering and Git-based deposit automation.
- Notarius: Canadian trusted digital signature and electronic archive provider for professionals and software creators. Comparable to APP as a trusted third party providing certified timestamping, digital signing, and electronic archiving for legal and IP use cases.
- NCC Group (Software Escrow): UK-listed cybersecurity and software escrow provider offering software source code escrow, verification, and IP protection services globally. Comparable to APP as a direct competitor in the software escrow and deposit verification space.
- Escrow Europe: European software escrow and technology assurance firm providing tripartite escrow agreements and verification services. Comparable to APP's controlled deposit / escrow arrangement services in the European market.
- Vaultinum: Swiss-based IP protection and software audit firm specializing in source code audits, open source compliance, and IP valuation. Comparable to APP because it serves the same software IP protection and due diligence use cases for enterprise clients.
Emerging players
- Certify.com / Provenance Solutions: Digital content timestamping and provenance verification services for creators and developers. Comparable to APP's timestamping and proof-of-creation services, representing a newer digitally-native approach.
- IPwe: Blockchain-based IP registry and trading platform for patents and intangible assets. Comparable to APP as an emerging alternative for IP registration and asset transparency, though using decentralized technology.
Regional players
- Legalplace / Captain Contrat: French online legal services platforms providing contract templates, IP advisory, and digital legal documentation. Comparable to APP because they serve French SMEs and startups needing legal protection for digital assets and IP, though with broader scope.
- INPI (Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle): French national patent and trademark office providing IP registration services. Comparable to APP because it serves the French IP protection ecosystem, though focused on industrial property rather than software/digital deposits.
Broad incumbents
- Iron Mountain Intellectual Property Management: Global information management giant offering secure storage, digital archiving, and IP-related services. Comparable to APP because it provides long-term archival and chain-of-custody solutions for sensitive digital assets at massive scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes social profiles
Digital presenceAgence pour la Protection des Programmes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Agence pour la Protection des Programmes
What does Agence pour la Protection des Programmes do?
APP safeguards digital creations by providing probatory deposit services for software, mobile applications, databases, websites, and strategic data, alongside software escrow, IP audits, timestamping, and standardized IP contract templates. Members access these services through the InterDeposit WEB online platform, with deposit certificates recognized as legal evidence across Berne Convention signatory countries.
Is Agence pour la Protection des Programmes a public or private company?
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Agence pour la Protection des Programmes founded?
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Agence pour la Protection des Programmes based?
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Agence pour la Protection des Programmes make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Fees and Deposit Services.
Who are Agence pour la Protection des Programmes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Source Code Escrow International (Praxiem), Notarius, NCC Group (Software Escrow), Escrow Europe and Vaultinum. Emerging players are Certify.com / Provenance Solutions and IPwe. Regional players are Legalplace / Captain Contrat and INPI (Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle). Iron Mountain Intellectual Property Management is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Agence pour la Protection des Programmes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Agence pour la Protection des Programmes.
What industry is Agence pour la Protection des Programmes in?
Agence pour la Protection des Programmes's product category is Intellectual Property Protection Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAK, IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement, with a secondary code of BPAMADAJ, App Security, Compliance & Review Automation Platforms. Its NAICS code is 533 and its SIC code is 7372.