Public Framework Specification · v1.0 Public Draft · May 2026
A public-draft framework for verifiable evidence linked to creative works, including cryptographic integrity, chronology references, and recorded assertions.
Universal Creation Evidence (UCE) is a public-draft, implementation-independent framework for preserving and verifying technical evidence associated with creative works. Copyright by UCE (CbyUCE) is the separate live operational implementation and current reference architecture.
UCE is an evidence framework — not a copyright registration system.
No institutional affiliation or endorsement. UCE is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by WIPO or any national copyright office. UCE evidence is not government copyright registration and does not replace national registration, legal advice, or adjudication. Find an official IP office.
Clear scope. Defined limits.
UCE evidence records are designed to be independently auditable using publicly documented verification procedures.
Verification of a UCE evidence package does not independently determine legal ownership, validate the truth of claimant assertions, or adjudicate competing claims. A result establishes only the technical relationships it reports as checked; unavailable inputs and unperformed checks must remain explicit.
About this example. This is a live hosted convenience interface from the CbyUCE reference implementation. It currently displays the platform-recorded upload date, manifest Arweave block date, exact UTC technical details, manifest hash, platform public-key reference, raw-manifest access, block-explorer access, and JSON verification data. For the representative record observed August 24, 2026, the hosted result reported a matching manifest hash and valid platform signature; it did not report a successful public file-byte comparison, File Arweave Block Date, or Complete UCE Record Date. It is not proof of legal ownership, a WIPO-reviewed or WIPO-endorsed record, an independent technical audit, or the future provider-independent reference verifier.
Distinct labels prevent a platform event from being mistaken for a network-confirmed time.
The date CbyUCE recorded receiving the upload. That platform-recorded value is contained in the signed evidence manifest subsequently submitted to Arweave. It is not described as Arweave-confirmed.
The uploaded file and evidence manifest are separate transactions. Their network-reported block dates are distinct from the platform-recorded value. If both block dates are available, the later date may be displayed as the Complete UCE Record Date.
The primary plain-language utility claim is proof of upload date. Calendar-date chronology is often the most practical public-facing claim; exact UTC values remain available for technical examination. Neither UCE nor CbyUCE is an RFC 3161 timestamp authority, qualified electronic timestamp provider, eIDAS trust service, governmental authority, or authoritative time source.
Public specifications, technical references, and verification guidance associated with the UCE framework.
The full normative specification of the UCE framework, including architecture, manifest data model, canonicalization, cryptographic, and verification requirements.
Released May 2026
Read v1.0 →Step-by-step verification workflow for UCE evidence packages, covering hash verification, manifest canonicalization, signature validation, and storage retrieval.
Read procedure →Illustrative structure of a conforming UCE v1 evidence manifest, including schema, work, claimant, files, rights, timestamps, storage, hashes, signatures, and verification fields.
Read appendix →Recommended terminology, language to avoid, and a short disclaimer for accurate public communication about UCE evidence.
Read appendix →Conditions and constraints for displaying the UCE mark, including the requirement that a corresponding verifiable evidence record exists.
Read guidance →Download PDF (Framework v1.0 Public Draft) Verification & Conformance Status
The current UCE v1 reference architecture.
UCE is the public-draft framework. CbyUCE is the separate live platform used as the current reference implementation.
Areas of active interest for future revisions and interoperability work.
Pathways to ML-DSA and hybrid classical/post-quantum signature schemes for long-horizon evidence.
Verifiable credentials and decentralized identifiers for stronger creator attestation.
Alignment with emerging content authenticity and provenance standards.
Machine-readable licensing and rights-routing across platforms and ecosystems.
Reference workflows for institutional creator-evidence programs and archives.
Workflow integration with copyright counsel, Copyright Claims Board, and related processes.
Open test vectors and conformance suites for independent verifier implementations.
A publicly documented reference verifier to support implementation and audit.
Copyright by UCE (CbyUCE) is the separate live operational implementation and current reference architecture. Use of CbyUCE is governed by its own Terms and Privacy Policy.
CbyUCE is a private evidence service, not a government or national copyright-registration service. Neither UCE nor CbyUCE is affiliated with or endorsed by WIPO or any national copyright office.