Proving your work existed on a specific date, in seconds — no paperwork, no appointments.
Recorded delivery, IP solicitor, UK Copyright Service, blockchain timestamp… An honest overview of all options, with their strengths and limitations.
Why do you need proof of prior creation?
In the UK (and internationally), copyright arises automatically at the moment of creation — no registration required (Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988). But in a dispute — plagiarism, contested authorship, broken contract — you need to prove when the work existed.
Traditionally this was done by recorded delivery, solicitor's statement, or depositing with a copyright registry. Today, a Bitcoin blockchain timestamp achieves the same result — instantly, at a fraction of the cost, and verifiable by anyone without an intermediary.
| Criteria | ★ Incipite Bitcoin blockchain | Recorded delivery Royal Mail · £2–5 | IP solicitor / Notary from £200 | UK Copyright Service £35–45 | Email to yourself free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free during launch phase | £2–5 per send | From £200 | £35–45 per deposit | Near-zero |
| Time needed | Seconds | 2–3 days delivery | Appointment needed days to weeks | 1–2 days online | Instant (send) unreliable as proof |
| Duration / Permanence | Permanent Bitcoin blockchain | Until lost / damaged | Permanent | 10 years, renewable | Fragile (paper) |
| Evidential weight | Strong corroborating evidence | Moderate | Presumed authentic | Strong | Weak |
| Identity verified | Declarative + OAuth Google, LinkedIn, Apple | Sender name only | Government ID | Online account | None |
| Publicly verifiable | By anyone, no intermediary | Not possible | Via solicitor only | Via registrar only | Impossible |
Note on evidential weight. A notarised document benefits from a legal presumption of authenticity. All other proofs — including Incipite — are weighed by judges as part of a body of corroborating evidence. Both are admissible in court as prior art evidence.
What we automate for you
Technically, nothing stops you from computing a SHA-256 hash yourself and submitting it to OpenTimestamps. Here is what that looks like manually:
What sets Incipite apart
Anyone can verify your certificate by dropping your file on our public verification page — no account, no intermediary needed.
Seconds to certify. Bitcoin anchor confirmed within 1–2 hours, with an automatic email notification when finalised.
Your file never leaves your browser. Only the cryptographic fingerprint (64 characters) is ever transmitted.
The proof is recorded for decades — as long as the Bitcoin blockchain exists. No five-year renewal required.
Why Bitcoin?
Behind Incipite lies a deliberate technical choice — the most conservative and battle-tested one in the digital world. Here is why.
Bitcoin has run continuously since 2009 — over sixteen years without a single line of its ledger being altered or replayed. No other public digital ledger comes close in demonstrated long-term robustness.
Over 15,000 nodes replicate the ledger worldwide. No authority — government, company, bank — can modify, shut it down, or censor it. If Incipite disappeared tomorrow, your proof would remain perfectly valid and verifiable by any independent expert.
The Tribunal judiciaire de Marseille (20 March 2025, RG 23/00046) explicitly recognised the probative value of a blockchain timestamp in copyright law: "The ownership of economic rights (…) is established by the two blockchain timestamp records." Courts in multiple EU jurisdictions are increasingly accepting blockchain timestamps, following electronic signature frameworks under eIDAS.
Read the ruling (TJ Marseille, 20 March 2025) →Each inscription carries a unique reference publicly consultable on any block explorer (such as blockstream.info). A judge, solicitor, or independent expert can verify your proof directly — making it opposable to third parties under any circumstances.
Please note. Incipite is not a public officer or a legal registration body. The certificate does not constitute a title of intellectual property ownership, but rather prior art evidence admissible in court as corroborating proof. For high-stakes transactions (rights assignment, publishing contracts), a notarised document is still recommended. For trademark registration, the relevant IP office (UKIPO, EUIPO) is mandatory.
No credit card required. Account created in 30 seconds.