The glossary of digital proof terms

Prior existence: the fact that a creation existed before another, or before a given date. This is what you seek to demonstrate in a case of copying.

SHA-256 fingerprint: a 32-byte string computed from a file. It represents the exact state of the file and does not expose its content.

Timestamping: a date linked verifiably to a file's fingerprint, confirming that the file existed at that moment.

Unalterable registry: a public log that keeps each entry in its original state. A third party can therefore verify it directly.

Creative Session Registry: the dated set of a creation's successive deposits at Ipocamp, from the first file to the final result. Each deposit (sketch, version, prompt, intermediate output) receives its own verifiable date. Taken together, these deposits retrace how the creation took shape and help establish your human contribution alongside generative AI input. For team work, the registry can be shared among contributors (optional).

Infringement: the exploitation of a protected creation without its owner's authorization. It can be proven, and quantified as damages.

Trade secret: confidential business information protected by reasonable measures. You need to be able to document those measures.