Public Framework Specification · v1.0 Public Draft · May 2026

Universal Creation Evidence (UCE)

A cryptographically verifiable evidentiary framework for preserving chronology, integrity, provenance, and rights assertions associated with creative works.

Universal Creation Evidence (UCE) is an implementation-independent evidentiary framework for preserving and verifying technical evidence associated with creative works. Copyright by UCE (CbyUCE) is one operational implementation and reference architecture for the UCE framework.

UCE is an evidence framework — not a copyright registration system.

Read Framework v1.0 Use CbyUCE
Document
UCE Evidentiary Standards & Verification Framework
Version
1.0 Public Draft
Released
May 2026
Last Updated
May 2026
Status
Public Draft — Open for Review
Maintainer
Copyright by UCE (CbyUCE)

What UCE Provides — and What It Does Not

Clear scope. Defined limits.

UCE Provides

  • Verifiable chronology evidence
  • Cryptographic integrity verification
  • Tamper-evident evidence manifests
  • Independent verification procedures
  • Machine-readable rights declarations
  • Evidence of asserted authorship and provenance

UCE Does Not Provide

  • Government copyright registration
  • Judicial ownership determination
  • Guaranteed legal outcomes
  • DRM or copy protection
  • Automatic enforcement of rights declarations
  • Proof that no earlier creator exists

Independent Verification

UCE evidence records are designed to be independently auditable using publicly documented verification procedures.

  1. 1Obtain the original file.
  2. 2Compute the file hash using the declared content hash algorithm.
  3. 3Retrieve the evidence manifest from its storage anchor.
  4. 4Canonicalize the manifest using the declared canonicalization method.
  5. 5Compute the manifest hash and compare to the recorded value.
  6. 6Validate the digital signature against the signed payload.
  7. 7Validate the public key reference and confirm it was valid at signing time.
  8. 8Confirm storage references, including content addresses and any ledger inclusion timestamps.
  9. 9Review creator, identity, and rights assertions, treating them as assertions unless separately attested.

Verification of a UCE evidence package does not independently determine legal ownership or adjudicate competing claims. It establishes technical consistency between the file, manifest, signature, and timestamp references.

Verify a UCE Record

Framework Documents

Public specifications, technical references, and verification guidance associated with the UCE framework.

Public Framework Specification Public Draft

UCE Evidentiary Standards & Verification Framework v1.0

The full normative specification of the UCE framework, including architecture, manifest data model, canonicalization, cryptographic, and verification requirements.

Released May 2026

Read v1.0 →
Technical Procedure Derived from Framework v1.0

Verification Procedures

Step-by-step independent verification workflow for UCE evidence packages, covering hash verification, manifest canonicalization, signature validation, and storage retrieval.

Read procedure →
Technical Reference Appendix A

Reference Manifest Structure

Illustrative structure of a conforming UCE v1 evidence manifest, including schema, work, claimant, files, rights, timestamps, storage, hashes, signatures, and verification fields.

Read appendix →
Usage Guidance Appendix D

Public Language Guidance

Recommended terminology, language to avoid, and a short disclaimer for accurate public communication about UCE evidence.

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Trademark & Usage Guidance Mark Usage

Proper Use of the UCE Mark

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)

Reference Architecture

The current UCE v1 reference architecture.

  • File hashingSHA-256
  • CanonicalizationRFC 8785 JSON Canonicalization (JCS)
  • Manifest hashingSHA-256
  • Digital signaturesES256 (ECDSA / P-256 / SHA-256)
  • Public verification keysPublished with key identifier and algorithm
  • Durable storage anchoringArweave Layer 1 or Arweave-compatible
  • RetrievalMulti-gateway retrieval
  • VerificationPublic verification URLs
  • CertificatesHuman-readable evidence certificates
  • RightsMachine-readable rights declarations

UCE is the framework. CbyUCE is the current public platform implementing the framework.

Research & Standards Direction

Areas of active interest for future revisions and interoperability work.

Post-quantum signature migration

Pathways to ML-DSA and hybrid classical/post-quantum signature schemes for long-horizon evidence.

Decentralized identity integration

Verifiable credentials and decentralized identifiers for stronger creator attestation.

AI provenance interoperability

Alignment with emerging content authenticity and provenance standards.

Rights-management interoperability

Machine-readable licensing and rights-routing across platforms and ecosystems.

Educational institution workflows

Reference workflows for institutional creator-evidence programs and archives.

Legal-tech integration

Workflow integration with copyright counsel, Copyright Claims Board, and related processes.

Public conformance test suites

Open test vectors and conformance suites for independent verifier implementations.

Reference verifier publication

A publicly documented reference verifier to support implementation and audit.

Use the UCE Framework Today

Copyright by UCE (CbyUCE) is the current public platform implementing the UCE framework.

Create Evidence Record Learn About CbyUCE