How to prove content is mine after somtime using web

Question

I need some suggestions as to how proved the ownership of content in case it is stolen using Web exclusively and that'd be the interest of every Webmaster publishing any content.

I mean I've plenty of content in form of images, pdf files, articles. Suppose I publish those articles - somebody else can then re-use it as one's own idea etc. Later it will be difficult to prove that it originally belonged to me( on a so and so date). We should be able to prove ownership in the courts( as against to Google)

Here is another related thread: Website content copied - How can I prove that I wrote it? .

Will it be ok to send those documents say in zip file using gmail to my other email accounts which I can use later to prove that those were with me during a time - assuming we can't change those sent dates in email accounts from reputed providers?

In the same way I can upload them in docstoc.com in pdf files, store them at any file sharing sites in zip, encrypted ( without divulging those urls).

Another idea is to make a video of documents and upload them in Facebook etc.

So I want to know if there are any better ideas!

Answer 1

One of the most popular ways is by using 3rd party, independent archiving service or any site storing parts of your content with original source provided.

Examples include:

• Internet Archive wayback machine
• Newsgathering services (assuming they store archive)
• References to your website quoting parts of your content.

Storing documents in archives might be a solution, but keep in mind that date stamps can be falsified - including the gmail sent dates.

Alternative would be to hire a specialized company for managing your copyrights. Examples might include digiprove or surety.

One of the key and most valued method of proving ownership of a digital content is by storing all of the production versions so that in court you could show all the progress how your content was created. Something like a revision control system or simply: storing development versions of you content are kind of "ultimate proof" in court.

Keep in mind that any single file stored anywhere can be falsified.

But owning a documentation of a development, or integral parts of the content that never were displayed to the public - cannot. (That's one of the reasons why photographers always store RAW files and (nearly) never provide them to the clients - they are proofs of copyrights. Even if in modern day there are ways to falsify even RAWs)