An Alternative to WGA Registration
Writers Guild (WGA) registration creates a dated record that your script existed — useful before pitching. But it expires and is industry-specific. A blockchain timestamp does the same dated-proof job, permanently, for any kind of work.
What WGA registration actually is
WGA registration deposits your script and records the date it existed. Importantly, it is not a copyright registration — it doesn't grant the legal rights that the U.S. Copyright Office does, and it expires after a set term. Its value is purely as dated evidence.
A blockchain timestamp does the same job — permanently
If the point is dated proof that your specific draft existed before you pitched it, a blockchain timestamp matches WGA registration and improves on it:
- Permanent — it never expires.
- Tamper-proof and public — verifiable by anyone on a public ledger.
- Any work — scripts, treatments, outlines, novels, lyrics, or designs, not just guild material.
| WGA registration | Blockchain timestamp | |
|---|---|---|
| Creates dated proof | Yes | Yes |
| Expires | Yes | No |
| Scope | Scripts / industry | Any file |
| Public, independent check | No | Yes |
Best practice for writers
Timestamp your draft, treatment, or outline before sending it anywhere, and register finished work you may need to defend with the Copyright Office. See how to copyright a screenplay, then timestamp your draft.