Before you send sprites, audio, level data or a build to a publisher, contractor or store, timestamp the exact files. TimeBinder® makes a fingerprint in your browser. The files stay on your device. You get a checkable Proof of Time Certificate that shows each exact file existed no later than a recorded time. It does not show who made the asset, who owns it, or that a store must remove a copy. Free to start. For the broader studio view, see timestamping for game developers.
Table of Contents
The routine: timestamp before you send the build
- Freeze the pack you are about to share: sprites, audio,
.unitypackage,.pak, level JSON, design doc PDF or a zip of the vertical slice. - Optional. Spot-check fingerprints with the free SHA-256 hash checker.
- Add up to 10 files in one TimeBind, or zip the folder and timestamp that exact zip.
- Save the Proof of Time Certificate with the pack.
- Then send the build, put it in the store sandbox, or open the contractor brief.
- Milestone builds get their own TimeBind. A later build is a different set of bytes.
How to timestamp a file covers the steps on Windows and Mac.
Which assets usually matter later
- Concept and pitch decks you showed a publisher.
- Art and audio packs sent to freelancers.
- Level and narrative files before a content drop.
- Store build candidates (the exact binary or package you send).
- Middleware or licensed stubs you need to show were in the tree on a date.
Git commit dates help inside your team, but they are not an independent record. See Git commit dates as proof and prove source code existed before a date.
Contractors, publishers and stores
When a contractor returns files, timestamp what you received as well as what you sent. When a publisher asks for a vertical slice, timestamp the zip you delivered. Store portals record the time you sent the build for that portal; they do not date your internal masters. Keep the certificate with the same bytes you shipped. Board-game style ideas are a different guide: how to protect a board game idea.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t
A TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time. It does not show authorship, ownership or copyright, and it does not stop cloning or asset flips. Use it next to your contracts and licence terms. See evidence of when a file existed, by profession.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Should I timestamp the whole repo?
Prefer the deliverable packs you actually send. A whole-repo zip works if you keep that exact zip. Re-zipping later usually changes the fingerprint.
-
What about Unity or Unreal library folders?
Timestamp the assets and packages you share, not regenerated Library or Intermediate folders, which change often.
-
Does the Steam build receipt date count?
It shows when that build was accepted on Steam. It does not date the earlier internal build you sent to QA or a publisher.
-
Can music and voice lines go in the same TimeBind?
Yes, up to 10 files per TimeBind. For song splits, use the free split sheet generator and timestamp that PDF too.
-
What does it cost?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, from US$5; ASAP is US$15. See plans and pricing
Timestamp your asset pack free
Show that this exact file existed no later than a recorded time. Files stay on your device. Get a checkable Proof of Time Certificate. Free to start. Open TimeBinder
