If you’ve ever Googled “how to prove I created this first,” you’ve probably run into two options: a notary public or blockchain timestamping. Both create a dated record of your work. But they’re very different in cost, speed, and how you’d actually use them if someone stole your content.
Here’s the honest comparison every Canadian creator needs to read before they spend a dollar on either.
What a Notary Actually Does
A notary public is a licensed professional who witnesses and certifies documents. When you bring them a creative work — a manuscript, a design, a music track — they stamp and sign a document confirming they saw it on a specific date. That stamp carries legal weight in Canadian courts.
The catch: notarizing a creative work in Canada typically costs $75–$200 per document, depending on your province. You need to physically attend (or pay for mail-in services). The process can take days. And if you’re a prolific creator who produces work weekly, those costs add up fast.
- Costs $75–$200 per document
- Requires in-person appointment or mail
- Takes 1–5 business days
- Paper record that can be lost, damaged, or disputed
What Blockchain Timestamping Does
Blockchain timestamping works differently. Instead of a person certifying your work, a mathematical fingerprint (called a hash) of your file is written permanently to a public blockchain — a shared ledger that no single person controls and no one can alter.
The result: a permanent, tamper-proof timestamp that anyone in the world can verify, instantly, for free — linked to your name, your work, and the exact moment you registered it.
- Costs a fraction of a cent per registration on Polygon L2
- Done in minutes, from your phone or laptop
- Permanent, publicly verifiable record
- Generates a shareable certificate with your name on it
Which One Holds Up Legally in Canada?
This is the question that matters most, and the honest answer is: neither replaces formal copyright registration or a lawyer’s advice in a serious dispute.
Copyright in Canada is automatic the moment you create an original work. You don’t need to register it anywhere. But proving you created it first — especially if your work was shared online and someone copied it — is where both tools come in.
A notary stamp carries weight because a licensed professional vouches for the date. Courts recognize this.
A blockchain timestamp carries weight because it’s mathematically verifiable and tamper-proof. The Polygon blockchain has been running continuously since 2020, and every record on it is publicly auditable.
In practice, for most copyright disputes (a stolen Instagram design, a copied blog post, a used music track without credit), what you need is proof of prior existence — and both tools provide that. Blockchain does it faster, cheaper, and at scale.
The Real Difference: Volume and Accessibility
Here’s where blockchain genuinely wins for everyday creators:
| Scenario | Notary | Blockchain |
|---|---|---|
| Protect 1 project | $75–$200 | ~$0.01 |
| Protect 10 projects/year | $750–$2,000 | ~$0.10 |
| Protect work from your phone | ❌ | ✅ |
| Get a shareable certificate | ❌ | ✅ |
| Verify your record publicly | ❌ | ✅ |
| Works for disability creators with mobility barriers | Difficult | ✅ |
For creators who produce work regularly — photographers, writers, musicians, designers, digital artists — a notary is simply not practical. Blockchain timestamping is.
A Note on Formal Copyright Registration in Canada
If your work is commercially valuable and you’re worried about serious infringement, consider registering with CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office). A formal copyright registration costs around $65 CAD online and gives you a registration certificate that carries significant legal weight.
Blockchain timestamping and CIPO registration are complementary, not competing. Many creators do both: blockchain registration for day-to-day work (fast, cheap, immediate), and CIPO registration for major commercial works (slower, more expensive, but formally recognized).
What PTC Coin Does
PTC Coin is a Canadian blockchain IP registration platform built specifically for creators. For $10 per project, you upload your work, we generate a cryptographic hash, write it permanently to the Polygon blockchain, and issue you a dated certificate with your name on it — all in under 5 minutes.
Your certificate is shareable, publicly verifiable, and stored permanently. If your work is ever stolen, you have documented proof of when it existed and who registered it.
No notary appointment. No mail. No waiting.
Register your first creative work →
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For serious copyright disputes, consult a Canadian IP lawyer.