Explainer
Proof of Existence and Copyright
Creators often ask whether a timestamped record replaces copyright. It does not. The two are different tools, and they are more useful when the distinction is clear.
Copyright is a legal right.
In many places, copyright arises automatically when an original work is created. Formal registration, where it is available, can provide additional legal procedures and remedies. Registration is not what creates the idea of copyright itself, and it is not a substitute for other evidence of how a work developed.
Proof of existence is evidence of timing.
A proof-of-existence record shows that a specific file-derived fingerprint existed at a specific moment. Lyricsmit creates a cryptographic fingerprint of a file and records timestamp evidence associated with that fingerprint. The original file does not need to become the public proof.
What a Lyricsmit record can help show.
A specific file-derived fingerprint existed at a particular time. That record can sit alongside drafts, messages, emails, agreements, source files and witnesses.
What it does not prove.
A Creative Record does not prove authorship, ownership, originality, copyright registration, infringement, or that another person copied you. It does not decide a legal outcome. Lyricsmit is evidence infrastructure — not a court.
Use them together, not as substitutes.
Timestamp a file when a version matters — before sharing, pitching, collaborating, submitting or handing it over. If you later choose to register copyright, that is a separate legal step. The timestamped record can provide additional context about when a specific version existed. Neither one replaces the other.