Content Registries

Creative Commons works can be registered with third-party entities for copyright timestamp authenticity and non-repudiation measures for proof of copyright. Registrars of Creative Commons works include: [Numly] and [Registered Commons].

Numly Description:

Numly assigns Numly Numbers (Electronic Serial Numbers / ESNs) for all things digital. These unique identifiers provide third-party, non-repudiation measures for proof of copyright via submission timestamps and digital fingerprints and real-time verifications. The unique identifiers enable rights statements to be associated with digital content by assigning a new Numly Number and copyright license to each copy of a digital asset at the time of distribution. Numly Numbers can also be used for tracking online views of a document (esns, timestamps, and IP addresses) since the "n" logo in the html generated code makes a call back to our servers on every display of the number. The Numly portal offers real-time metrics reporting of content views including: ratings, hits, IP addresses, and aging.

Creators of CC licenses (and All Rights Reserved licenses) use Numly to register their digital works online. Once registered, content can be searched online by copyright license, content text, and/or keywords/tags. Orphan works are also protected through our digital fingerprints. Authors/Artists can be identified by uploading a digital work with a matching digital fingerprint and can be contacted via our secure message center. Numly Numbers can be generated via our online portal, FireFox plugin, WordPress plugin, Apple widget, open APIs, and hopefully CC Publish soon. Numly Numbers also can serve as permalinks (go.numly.com/esn), organized home pages consisting of all published works (numly.com/userid), online verification (verify.numly.com/esn), RSS feeds (rss.numly.com/userid), and fight against splogging since they are not stripped out of infringing content.

Numly Number: 84110-061014-12440-790

RegisteredCommons Description:

RegisteredCommons provides secure registration of authorship of creative workings, no matter if it's photography, poetry, a series of mp3 files or an open source software project. If somebody infringes the license associated to your work, your registration helps to prove your authorship.

In order to register your work, you need to sign-up at RegisteredCommons.org. The trust level associated to your work is highest, if you use a personal certificate, such as by CAcert.org. You can choose, which personal data is visible to others. After uploading a release of your work, we generate a hash code and request a secure timestamp from A-cert. You can generate yourself or order a printed and signed certificate, which you may file with your contracts.

The timestamp is stored for 35 years by A-cert. RegisteredCommons stores the hash code for at least 7 years. Your work is being stored by fair-use principles. RegisteredCommons is a service established and provided by a public-private partnership. The public partner, the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, located in the Austrian Alps close to the Swiss and German border, provides infrastructure. Private partners are organised in a co-op. Registered users of the service may also become RegisteredCommons shareholders. The co-op members keep control over the service through their vote in the general assembly.

Registrar Comparison Chart:

Listed below is a comparison chart between the Creative Commons and All Rights Reserved registrars:

• (1) – Numly has a three-tiered plan that offers 30/100/2500 registrations per month for $0, $5 and $100 per month respectively.
• (2) – Numly numbers are good for life, even if you cancel your paid subscription or stop using your account.
• (3) – The 5000 character limit can be circumvented by uploading the text file instead of pasting the copy.
• (4) – Numly allows the uploading and hashing of files up to 100KB in size for a free account, .5MB for a professional and 100MB for an Enterprise.
• [1] - Professional users (exceeding 100 registrations per month or more than 100MB) are requested to sign up for a business account. Please contact stamp at RegisteredCommons.org
• [2] - The Global Release Identifier (GRiD) is good for life. Timestamps are kept for 35 years at A-cert. This is our trusted and audited 3rd party digital signature partner, conformant to European Union digital signature regulation. We guarantee access to the hash codes for at least seven years. In case we need to shut down the service (for unforeseeable reasons) the hash code will be deposited at a public notary.
• [3] - RegisteredCommons has been developed by a public-private partnership, the Competence Network for Media Design. The service is operated by [http://www.OSalliance.com OSalliance, a co-operative of open source and media developers with 25+ members, located in Austria (near the Swiss border). Any RegisteredCommons user may request shares (max 20 by statutes) at the co-op. Revenues will be always used for open source and open culture projects.