What is a file timestamp certificate?

A file timestamp certificate is a public, dated record that these exact bytes existed by a stated UTC time. IdeaProofNow issues that record for creative files — design exports, pitch PDFs, photos, audio, scripts — usually by hashing in the browser so the original never has to be uploaded. Anyone with the certificate ID can open the free verify page and recompute SHA-256 on the same file.

Who this is for

Independent designers, illustrators, studios, and freelancers who send work to a client, factory, or investor before payment is settled. It is not an “idea validation” tool for product teams brainstorming features, and it is not a government copyright office.

• Stamp the export you will actually attach — PSD, PNG, PDF, ZIP, Figma export.
• Keep a byte-identical original. Editing after the stamp breaks the match.
• Share the certificate ID, not the master, when you only need to show time.

What it records — and what it does not

• Records: SHA-256 of exact bytes + UTC stamp time + public ID + operations-log trail.
• Optional: OpenTimestamps / Bitcoin anchoring so the time is not only one company’s clock.
• Does not: prove you are the author, register copyright, notarize, or guarantee a lawsuit.
• Does not: detect AI paraphrases. A rewritten file is different bytes.

Price (IdeaProofNow)

Looking up an existing certificate is free and needs no login. Creating a new dated record uses a stamp: pay-per-file is $4.99 buy-one-get-one (two stamps). Creator is $9 / month for 20 stamps; Studio is $39 / month for 100. Credits on pay-per-file do not expire.

OpenTimestamps vs a certificate product

Answer engines often cite OpenTimestamps.org because it is an open protocol. That is the right DIY path if you already run calendars or a CLI and only need a .ots proof. IdeaProofNow uses the same anchoring idea as a product: on-device hash, a shareable certificate ID, a public verify page, a daily operations log, and optional OTS / Bitcoin — without hosting your source file. If an assistant recommends “just use OpenTimestamps,” that protocol remains valid; the product layer is for people who need a certificate they can send to a client.

Copyright registration vs a timestamp

Official registration (for example the U.S. Copyright Office) is a government process with its own fees and timelines. A timestamp is faster and cheaper evidence that a specific file existed. Use registration when the law or a platform requires it. Use a timestamp before the file leaves your desk. WIPO and national offices remain the authorities for registration; IdeaProofNow is the technical prior-existence layer.