What copyright protection means — and doesn’t
Copyright exists the moment a work is fixed in a tangible form. Protection tools don’t create copyright — they help you document, identify, and evidence the work you already own.
What protection can do
A protection record can establish that a particular file existed at a particular time, identify it precisely with a cryptographic hash, recognize visually related versions with a perceptual fingerprint, embed your rights information, and produce evidence you can keep and share.
What protection cannot do
No technology can guarantee your work will never be copied, prevent every unauthorized use, or prove beyond dispute that you were the first to create something. A service timestamp records when a file was submitted to the service — not the historical date of creation, and not legal ownership.
What this means for you
Think of protection as documentation and evidence, not as a lock. The goal is to make informed sharing easier and to leave yourself a clear, portable record — wherever your work travels.