There is no single protection mechanism that fits every case. Here is an honest overview of the options available to independent creators — with their real strengths and genuine limitations.
Available mechanisms
Automatic copyright
- Pour
- Any original work (text, image, music, software…)
- Coût
- Free — arises at the moment of creation
- Limite
- Hard to prove without a dated record
Copyright registration (USCO / UK Copyright Service)
- Pour
- Any work — strongest legal presumption in court
- Coût
- $35–$65 (US), £50–£85 (UK)
- Limite
- Formal process; does not prove precise creation date
Solicitor / notary attestation
- Pour
- Any work — strong legal standing
- Coût
- £100–£300
- Limite
- Attests the date of presentation, not of creation
Recorded delivery to yourself
- Pour
- Often misunderstood as "proof"
- Coût
- Low cost
- Limite
- No legal validity — metadata is easily falsified
Blockchain timestamp
- Pour
- Any digital or digitisable work
- Coût
- Free (1st cert) or £2.99 per work
- Limite
- Prior art evidence, not a title of ownership
Why a blockchain timestamp complements the others
Most mechanisms above share a common flaw: they attest the date of filing, not the date of creation. A blockchain timestamp fills that gap: by anchoring your file's digital fingerprint in the Bitcoin blockchain at the exact moment of certification, it creates evidence that cannot be backdated.
It is also the only mechanism available in minutes, without an appointment, without postage, without membership fees — and whose proof is verifiable by anyone, for free, forever.
It is not a substitute for copyright registration if you want the strongest legal presumption in court. Think of it as an additional layer — fast and inexpensive — that strengthens any existing protection by adding an independently verifiable time record.