For inventors, developers and creators
Timestamp before you disclose: a dated record of your invention, code or creative work
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Before you pitch, hand over or release your work, it gives you a dated, checkable record that the exact files existed no later than a recorded time and still matches, if someone later says they came first or were different.
The fingerprint is made in the browser, and the file stays on your device. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free; after that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
In the TimeBinder app, drag and drop your file. Your browser creates its digital fingerprint. Your file stays on your device—we never receive or see its contents.
Your files never leave your computer. With TimeBinder, each file is hashed locally on your own device. We never receive or see the original file contents.
Timestamping before you disclose: the short answer
An independent, verifiable timestamp shows that an exact file, such as invention notes, a code snapshot, a design or a master recording, existed no later than a recorded time, and lets anyone check later that the file they are shown still matches its fingerprint. TimeBinder makes the fingerprint in your browser, so the file stays on your device. The time is anchored to a public record that no single party controls.
It does not show who made the work, who owns it, or that it is original, and it does not replace a patent, trade mark, design or copyright filing, or an NDA. That is general information, not legal advice. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required; after that TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
Four moments when a dated record matters
Most disputes about who had what first begin at one of four points. Date the files at the point where they leave your hands, not every working save.
Before you pitch or disclose
The deck, demo, description or notes you are about to show someone outside your circle, dated before they leave your hands. Use an NDA where one is appropriate: a timestamp is not a confidentiality agreement.
Before you hand over work
The files a client, manufacturer, collaborator or contractor receives, dated as sent. Each round gets its own record, so you can show which version went out on which date.
Before you release
The build, master, manuscript or design as published, dated just before it goes live, so the release has a record that does not depend on the platform you post to.
When someone copies or doubts
The earlier file, dated before the dispute began. It helps you show your file existed by the recorded time. It does not show who made it, or that anyone copied it.
A layer of protection for work you have not shown yet
Someone can say the idea was theirs, that your code snapshot was edited, or that a design was made later, and convincing copies are easier to produce than they used to be, sometimes with AI tools. Your own files, notebooks and version history show how the work developed. A TimeBind adds a record held outside your own systems of the exact files at a given moment, so you can show what existed by the recorded time and that your copy still matches. It supports your records. It does not show that you invented, wrote or own the work.
Start from your kind of work
This page is about the moments when a dated record helps, whatever you make. Each guide below goes deeper on one kind of work: what to date, which files, and how people in that field use a TimeBind.
- InventorsNotebooks, sketches, prototypes and pitch decks
- Trade secretsDate a record without revealing it
- Software developersReleases, commits and delivered builds
- Game developersBuilds, assets and design documents
- Writers and authorsDrafts, chapters and submissions
- Songwriters and musiciansDemos, stems, lyrics and masters
- Designers and architectsDesign files, drawing sets and revisions
- FreelancersThe work you send to a client
- IP and creative industryThe industry overview
Disclosure, patents and what a timestamp does not do
A TimeBind records when a file existed. It does not file, register or secure any right, and it is not a substitute for a patent application or another formal filing where one is available. For inventions, the rules turn on filing dates and on what has been made public:
- Europe: under Article 54(2) of the European Patent Convention, the state of the art comprises everything made available to the public, by written or oral description, by use or in any other way, before the date of filing of the European patent application.
- United States: 35 U.S.C. § 102 treats an invention that was in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date as prior art, with an exception for an inventor’s own disclosure made one year or less before that date.
- Elsewhere: other countries differ, so check the rules where you plan to file.
If you may want a patent, speak to a patent attorney before you disclose the invention publicly. Our guides on showing an invention publicly and on provisional patents and timestamps go further. This is general information, not legal advice.
How to timestamp your work before you share it
- Freeze the exact files. Export the deck, build, master or design as you will share it. Do not edit the files afterwards: a fingerprint changes if a single byte changes.
- Keep your own notes alongside. Note what each file is, the version, who will receive it and why. Keep sensitive detail in your notes, not in file names.
- Create a TimeBind. Open the TimeBinder app and add up to 10 files. Your browser makes the fingerprints and the files stay on your device. Choose Pooled for routine work or ASAP when the date must be recorded straight away, such as hours before a pitch.
- Keep the certificate with the files. Save the Proof of Time Certificate next to the exact files in your project archive.
- Check it, and explain only what it shows. Later, fingerprint the stored file again and confirm it matches the certificate. If you share it, say only that the file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not
- It shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time, and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint.
- It does not show who made the work, that it is original, who owns any rights in it, or that anyone copied it.
- It does not replace a patent, trade mark, design or copyright filing, an NDA, your own version history, or advice from a patent or IP lawyer about your situation.
Guides, comparisons and tools, by moment
Every guide, comparison and tool we have for inventors, developers and creators, grouped by what you are about to do. If you work mainly in one field, start with the inventor, developer or creator timestamping hub.
- Before you pitch, disclose or sign an NDA
- Before you hand work to a client, manufacturer or collaborator
- Before you publish, post or release
- Priority, prior use and the formal routes
- Code, models and technical files
- When someone copies, doubts or accuses
- Plans, tools and how it works
Before you pitch, disclose or sign an NDA
- NDA and a timestamp before disclosure
- How to pitch an idea without it being stolen
- Startup pitch deck and invention notes
- Crowdfunding launch: timestamp before you go live
- Sync licensing pitch: what to timestamp
- Protect your music before sending it to a producer, label or publisher
- Prior inventions list before a new job
- How to protect an app idea
- How to protect a business idea in Australia
Before you hand work to a client, manufacturer or collaborator
- Before you send a product design to a manufacturer
- Record background IP before a client contract
- Protect your design before sending it to a client
- Freelance code delivery: timestamp before the client pays
- Session musician stems before sending
- Timestamp a contract version before anyone signs
- Free tool: Handover Receipt
Before you publish, post or release
- Timestamp your code before you open-source it
- Video game assets before sharing
- Timestamp portfolio work before you post it online
- Timestamp a photo series before publishing
- Timestamp a new typeface before release
- Timestamp your EP before release
- Timestamp a podcast episode before you publish
- Prove a manuscript existed before submitting it
- Does posting online prove you made it first?
Priority, prior use and the formal routes
- How do you show when you had an invention?
- Can you patent an invention you showed publicly years ago?
- Provisional patent vs a timestampA timestamp does not replace a filing
- Defensive publication vs a timestamp
- Prior user rights records
- Prove a design existed before a UK or EU filing
- Copyright registration vs a timestamp
- WGA script registration vs a timestamp
- Copyright without registration: what evidence helps
- TimeBinder vs Bernstein
Code, models and technical files
- Prove your source code existed before a date
- Jupyter notebook or result existed before a date
- CAD, BIM or Figma file existed before a date
- 3D model (STL or 3MF) existed before a date
- Are Git commit dates proof of when code existed?
- Zenodo or Software Heritage vs a timestamp
- Cloud version history as proof
- TimeBinder vs OpenTimestamps
- TimeBinder vs Sigstore
When someone copies, doubts or accuses
- How to prove someone copied your work
- Accused of copying a song? Evidence of independent creation
- How to show your writing history when AI is suspected
- Falsely accused of using AI art
- How artists can get ahead of AI tampering
- Emailing yourself vs a timestamp
Plans, tools and how it works
The same habit applies before unpublished details go into an AI tool. The free AI-assisted invention record checklist looks at the exact files you already hold, the current terms, and the copy you will file or share. It cannot decide inventorship, and it is not legal advice.
Timestamping before you disclose: FAQ
What does it mean to timestamp an invention, code or creative work?
It means recording that an exact file, such as invention notes, a code snapshot, a design or a master recording, existed no later than a recorded time, and being able to check later that the file you hold still matches. TimeBinder makes a digital fingerprint of the file in your browser and records the fingerprint with a time. It does not record who made the file.
What should I timestamp first?
Start with whatever you are about to share, hand over or release: the pitch deck, the build you are delivering, the master you are sending to a label, the design you are issuing. Date it just before it leaves your hands. Routine working saves rarely need a record.
Does a timestamp replace a patent application or other filing?
No. A TimeBind records when a file existed. It does not file, register or secure any right, and it does not replace a patent, trade mark, design or copyright filing where one is available. Patent systems turn on filing dates and what has been made public, so speak to a patent attorney before you disclose an invention.
Does timestamping an invention make it public?
No. Your browser makes the fingerprint and the file stays on your device. TimeBinder records the fingerprint, not the file, so the timestamp does not itself publish your invention. Whether a later disclosure affects patentability is a legal question that depends on the country and the facts.
Does a timestamp prove I invented it, wrote it or own it?
No. A TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the work, that it is original, or who owns any rights in it. Those questions turn on the facts and the law where you are.
Is a timestamp a substitute for an NDA?
No. An NDA is an agreement about confidentiality. A timestamp is a dated record of a file. They do different jobs, and many people use both before a pitch or a handover.
Should I use a Pooled or an ASAP TimeBind?
A Pooled TimeBind is batched with others and usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, often sooner. An ASAP TimeBind is its own Bitcoin transaction, broadcast straight away. Use ASAP when the date must be recorded within hours, such as before a pitch or a release.
What does it cost?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required, and the Free plan includes 1 free Token a month. After that a Pooled TimeBind is US$5 and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15, each for up to 10 files. Essential is US$20 a month for 5 Tokens and Expert is US$50 a month for 15 Tokens. Prices checked on 10 November 2026.
How is it different from Git history, emailing myself or cloud version history?
Those dates sit on systems you or a provider control, and can be edited or depend on your own clock. A TimeBind adds a time recorded outside them, for the exact file. It does not replace your version history, which shows how the work changed.
What if someone presents a convincing copy, or says my work was made with AI?
A TimeBind does not detect AI or prove how a file was made. It shows when your exact file existed, so you can show that a particular version predates a copy, a claim or a dispute. Keep dated records of your working files as you go.
What public record is the time anchored to?
The fingerprint is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain, a public ledger that no single party controls. An ASAP TimeBind is its own Bitcoin transaction and can be checked there without relying on TimeBinder. A Pooled TimeBind is batched with others and is verified through TimeBinder. Checking a certificate is free.
Date your work before you share it
Add a layer of protection to your next pitch, handover or release: a dated, checkable record of the exact files you share.
Open TimeBinder →Your first Pooled TimeBind is free. After that, see pricing or which plan do I need.