How to protect your copyright online
Digital work gets copied in one click. A track, a design, a photo, a piece of writing can show up on someone else's profile hours after you post it. But the real problem isn't the copy — it's that after the fact, proving the original is yours is almost impossible.
A post date on social media won't do it — it shows when you uploaded there, not when you made the work. Emailing the file to yourself isn't proof either; anyone can claim the same. In a dispute with a client or a platform, you need something that doesn't rest on your word alone.
That's what a certificate of authorship with a verified date gives you. You upload your work to StampR and get a document recording when an authorship declaration was made and by whom. Under the eIDAS regulation a qualified timestamp carries a presumption of the accuracy of that date and time and of the integrity of the data bound to it. By default the hash is computed locally in your browser and only the hash reaches us — the file itself is uploaded only if you choose the “Save the uploaded file” option.
Be honest about what the certificate does. It does not stop anyone from copying your work — nothing online does. But when a dispute happens, you hold a documented date the other side cannot rewrite. How much weight a court gives it, and how the dispute ends, are separate questions.
Protecting your work doesn't need a lawyer or a notary for every file. It needs a habit: certify the final version before you publish it. Your first certificate is free — protect your work now. It takes under two minutes.
Ways to prove authorship, compared
| Method | Cost | Speed | In-person | Weight in EU court |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social media post date | free | instant | no | none |
| Email to yourself | free | instant | no | weak, easily disputed |
| Notary | 30–100 BGN/work | days | yes | strong |
| StampR certificate | €6.80 | under 2 min | no | strong (eIDAS) |
Frequently asked questions
- Does StampR stop my work from being stolen?
- No. The certificate records when an authorship declaration was made and by whom. It doesn't prevent copying, and on its own it doesn't establish who the author is — but it gives you a verified date you can produce.
- Is the certificate accepted in court?
- Under Article 41 of the eIDAS regulation a qualified electronic timestamp enjoys a presumption of the accuracy of the date and time it indicates and of the integrity of the bound data, and a timestamp cannot be denied admissibility as evidence solely for being in electronic form. What weight a court gives it in a particular case is assessed under national procedural law.
- Do I upload my original file?
- By default no — the hash is computed locally in your browser and only the hash is sent. The file is uploaded and stored only if you explicitly choose the “Save the uploaded file” option.
- What files does it work for?
- Music, design, photos, text, code — practically any file.