Prove you created first —
before a dispute starts.

Yes. Cryptographic timestamping on the Bitcoin blockchain via the open source OpenTimestamps protocol constitutes strong prior art proof, enforceable in court. The EU's first direct ruling (TJ Marseille, 20 March 2025) confirmed its probative value, applicable under eIDAS Art. 41.

In the UK, the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025 formally recognises digital assets as a third category of personal property, reinforcing the legal standing of cryptographic prior art evidence.

Important: Incipite proves that your file existed at a specific date. It is not a copyright registration — it is strong prior art evidence.

No, your proof remains intact. This is actually the core design principle of Incipite.

The Bitcoin blockchain is a decentralised ledger maintained by thousands of machines worldwide — entirely independent of Incipite. Every certification also gives you an .ots file (OpenTimestamps receipt) delivered by email: it contains the full cryptographic proof in an open standard format.

Anyone can verify this file without using Incipite — using the official client ots verify your-file.ots or by uploading it to incipite.com/verify. As long as Bitcoin exists, your proof exists.

No, never. The SHA-256 cryptographic fingerprint of your file is computed directly in your browser, in JavaScript.

Only this 64-character fingerprint — entirely independent of the original content — is transmitted to Incipite and to the OpenTimestamps protocol. There is no way to reverse-engineer the source file from this fingerprint. Your work never leaves your device — even during certification.

All three achieve the same legal goal (proving prior creation) but at very different costs:

• ·UK Copyright Service / recorded delivery — dated evidence, limited probative value, requires physical storage.
• ·Solicitor's declaration / notarial certificate — £150–£500 per document. Strong probative value but prohibitive cost for regular use.
• ·Incipite — from €0 (first certification free), publicly verifiable proof, no expiry, anchored on Bitcoin forever.

Full comparison on our comparison page.

PDF certificate: immediate (under 5 seconds after the fingerprint is computed). It is displayed on screen and available for download right away.

Definitive Bitcoin anchor: 1 to 2 hours on average — the time it takes for the blockchain to mine a block containing your fingerprint. You receive an automatic second email once this anchor is sealed, with the OpenTimestamps receipt .ots to keep alongside your original file.

The delay depends on the Bitcoin network's cadence (probabilistic). This is precisely what gives the proof its value: no central authority can accelerate or challenge the inscription.

Yes, a ZIP file is accepted like any other file. The certificate will prove that this archive existed at the stated date — with its exact unchanged content.

Important: the certificate attests the existence of the archive as a whole, not each file individually. If you ever need to prove the prior creation of a single work within the ZIP (e.g. one specific photo in a dispute), it will be harder to establish than with an individual certification.

Practical recommendation: for high-value works (key photos, original beats, commercial texts), certify file by file. A ZIP is appropriate to protect the existence of a collection at a given date — an album before signing, a portfolio before submission.