Checklist
Before you send the file, make the evidence boring.
Most collaborations are fine. Most clients are fine. The point is not to live like everyone is out to steal your work. The point is to avoid trying to reconstruct a messy timeline later.
A simple pre-send ritual
- Save the final file in a folder you control.
- Export a non-editable version when the recipient does not need source files.
- Keep the brief, invoice, approval messages, and delivery email.
- Write one plain sentence about what you are sending and why.
- Hash or timestamp the file before it leaves your hands.
Files worth treating carefully
song demos and stems
manuscripts and scripts
pitch decks and treatments
design exports and source files
game builds and source zips
contract drafts and signed PDFs
What a timestamp does and does not do
A timestamp can help show that a specific file existed at a specific time. That is useful when the timeline matters.
It does not replace a contract, copyright registration, or legal advice. It also does not prove that an idea is protectable by itself. Think of it as a clean record, not a magic shield.
Want the lightweight version?
Start by hashing the file locally. If the work matters enough to keep a dated certificate, create a proof and store the PDF next to the project.