Copyright registration in Bulgaria: what you need to know

One of the most common questions we receive: "Do I need to register copyright in Bulgaria?" The short answer is no — under the Copyright and Related Rights Act (ZAPSP), copyright arises automatically at the moment of creation. There is no mandatory copyright registry in Bulgaria.

The problem is not the right itself but proving it. If someone uses your photo, music, text or code without permission and challenges your authorship, you must present convincing evidence of when you created the work and that it is yours.

Legal options for a copyright document in Bulgaria

1. Notarial deed / deposit with a notary
Cost: 30–100 BGN per work, requires physical presence. Impractical for digital files or frequent versions.

2. Contract registration with the NRA
A fiscal procedure for declaring income — not proof of authorship or creation date.

3. Qualified electronic timestamp (QeTS)
Under EU Regulation eIDAS (910/2014), 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 (Article 41(2)), and is recognised as qualified in every Member State (Article 41(3)). What weight a court gives it in a particular case is assessed under national procedural law. StampR issues such a timestamp via BORICA – B-Trust, a licensed provider on the EU Trust List. Cost: €6.80, under 2 minutes, no physical presence. Certify your work at StampR.