Copyright registration in New Zealand: there isn’t any. Here’s what to keep instead.

Drop a file to timestamp Any file type. Up to 10 files per TimeBind. Opens the TimeBinder app.

Clicking opens the TimeBinder app. Files are hashed locally on your computer; nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

New Zealand has no copyright register and no application process. Your work is protected automatically from the moment it’s created. What you may one day need is evidence: of when the work existed, and of how you made it.

Your files never leave your computer. With TimeBinder, each file is hashed locally on your own device. Nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

Can you register copyright in New Zealand?

Short answer: no. The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) says: “In New Zealand, there is no copyright register or application process.” Copyright is free and automatic under the Copyright Act 1994, and in most cases lasts for the author’s lifetime plus 50 years (IPONZ: Copyright).

Because nothing is registered, IPONZ suggests marking your work with the © symbol, your name and the year, and keeping records, including copies of electronic documents that show when the work was first created (IPONZ: ownership and protection). A timestamp is a way to make those records checkable by someone else.

What is TimeBinder? TimeBinder is a blockchain timestamping service. It shows that a digital file existed no later than a specific time, and that it still matches its fingerprint, by anchoring the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. Files are hashed in your browser and never uploaded, and each TimeBind comes with a Proof of Time Certificate that can be checked later. It does not prove who created a file or that its contents are true.

Ways to record when your work existed in New Zealand

	What it shows	Weak points
© notice on the work	That you claim copyright	Not evidence of a date; anyone can type a year
Dated drafts and files on your computer	Your working process	File dates come from your own computer and are easy to change
Emailing the work to yourself	A send time from a mail server	Lives in an account; attachments are easy to swap or lose. More on this
Posting a copy to yourself	A postmark on an envelope	Envelopes can be opened and resealed; not practical for digital files
Witness or solicitor holding a copy	A trusted person’s account of dates	Depends on their records and memory; costs time and fees
TimeBinder timestamp	This exact file existed no later than a time recorded on Bitcoin	Doesn’t show who made the file; covers only versions you TimeBind

What New Zealand creators should keep

A short list that covers most disputes:

Dated copies of key versions: the first complete draft, the version you pitched or sent, and the final.
Working files that show how you made it: sessions, layered files, notes, sketches, source code history.
Correspondence: briefs, emails and messages with collaborators, clients or publishers.
Agreements on ownership: employment and commissioning terms, split sheets for co-writers.
An independent timestamp on the versions that matter, so the dates don’t rest on your own computer.

How to timestamp your work from New Zealand

Three steps. Submitting takes a few minutes; a Pooled TimeBind is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity, and ASAP is faster. Prices are in US dollars.

Drop your files
Add up to 10 files per TimeBind. Any file type and size works.
manuscript.docx · song-demo.wav
Hashed on your computer
Your browser works out a unique SHA-256 fingerprint for each file. Nothing is uploaded. The files never leave your device and TimeBinder never stores them.
fingerprint 9f2c…41ab · file stays with you
Sealed to Bitcoin
The fingerprints are anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain: ASAP (your own transaction, sent straight away) or Pooled (usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity). You get a Proof of Time Certificate, a PDF with a QR code and the Bitcoin transaction ID.
✓ sealed · certificate ready

Timestamp a file →

What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t

What it shows

That this exact file existed no later than the time recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain
That a file shown later still matches its fingerprint: the same file gives the same fingerprint, and any edit gives a different one
A record kept outside your own systems: an ASAP TimeBind can be checked on the Bitcoin blockchain without relying on TimeBinder, and a Pooled TimeBind is verified through TimeBinder

What it doesn’t show

Who created, wrote or signed the file
That the contents are true or accurate
Whether AI was used to make it
How a court or other decision-maker will treat it: that depends on the jurisdiction and the rules that apply. It isn’t legal advice

Pooled TimeBinds are verified through TimeBinder. ASAP TimeBinds can also be verified independently, from the certificate and the public Bitcoin blockchain. Checking is always free.

Copyright in New Zealand: FAQ

Is there a copyright register in New Zealand?

No. IPONZ says there is no copyright register or application process in New Zealand. Copyright arises automatically.

How long does copyright last in New Zealand?

IPONZ says copyright in most cases lasts for the author’s lifetime plus 50 years. Some kinds of work have different terms.

Do I need the © symbol?

It isn’t required for protection, but IPONZ suggests using it with your name and the year, as a reminder to others that you claim copyright.

Can a website register my copyright in New Zealand?

Private services can store your files or record dates, but none of them is an official New Zealand copyright register, because there isn’t one. Judge them on the evidence they give you.

Is my work uploaded to TimeBinder?

No. Your browser calculates a SHA-256 fingerprint of each file, and only that fingerprint is anchored to Bitcoin.

What does it cost?

The Free plan is $0 and includes 1 Token a month. A Pooled TimeBind costs 1 Token and an ASAP TimeBind costs 3 Tokens; checking is free. Essential is $20 a month for 5 Tokens ($4 per Token, against $5 pay-as-you-go) and Expert is $50 a month for 15 Tokens (about $3.33 per Token). Paid plans replace the Free plan’s monthly Token, so Essential adds 4 Tokens for $20 and Expert adds 14 for $50.

Related guides

Open TimeBinder and timestamp your work

Here’s what you’ll do next:

Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
Add your files. They stay on your computer.
Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.

Open TimeBinder →

Your work stays privateEvery file is hashed locally on your own computer. Your files are never uploaded or stored by TimeBinder; only a fingerprint is sealed to Bitcoin.

Start free: your first Pooled TimeBind each month costs nothing. See pricing