Copyright France: 2026 review, service takeover and alternative
CopyrightFrance.com, an online copyright registration service, went offline between late 2025 and spring 2026, then was taken over by a new company. This page gives a neutral account of what changed, the 2026 prices and the questions still open for former depositors. Learn more about the Berne Convention.
What happened to Copyright France?
CopyrightFrance.com describes itself as an online copyright registration service active since 1995. Deposits are timestamped by a Certification Authority and come with a deposit certificate. Thousands of creators used it to date their texts, music, images and websites.
Between late 2025 and spring 2026 the site became unreachable. Users reported redirect loops, an invalid SSL certificate and no way to retrieve their deposits. According to replies posted on the Que Choisir consumer forum, the former manager passed away and the platform suffered a cyberattack.
The service was then taken over. As of 12 September 2026 the site is online again and states it is published by IFB (International French Business SARL, Paris trade register 377 928 007). The new team announces new infrastructure and stronger backups. Whether older deposits were carried over remains a question raised publicly by users, with no detailed answer so far.
Sources checked on 12 September 2026: Que Choisir forum thread, Trustpilot reviews, the "About us" and "Prices" pages of copyrightfrance.com. We will update this page if the situation changes.
Copyright France's strengths
Timestamps from a Certification Authority
The site states that deposits are timestamped by a French Certification Authority qualified under eIDAS. A qualified electronic timestamp enjoys a presumption of accuracy of the date across the European Union (eIDAS Regulation, Article 41). That is a real asset in a dispute.
Rich, editable deposits
Each deposit accepts an unlimited number of documents, with files up to 120 MB, and can be edited free of charge for 30 days. Payment is one-off, with no subscription.
Volume pricing
A single deposit costs €22 incl. VAT. Packs bring the price down to €8 per deposit (60 deposits for €480). A €39 plan covers websites and blogs with unlimited deposits.
Points to watch
Continuity of older deposits
Certificates issued before the outage keep their value if you kept a copy. However, access to old accounts and the transfer of archives to the new operator have not been explained publicly in detail. Check that your deposits can still be viewed.
No free tier, no public verification
Every deposit is paid, with no trial deposit. As far as we know, the site offers no public page where a third party can verify a certificate, so proving a deposit means going through the service.
An older-generation website
The pages come from a site built years ago, with dated navigation and little information about the new team. This does not affect the validity of deposits, but it calls for some trust.
Copyright France or another solution?
Three quick comparisons to choose according to your needs and budget.
Copyright France or Soleau envelope
The INPI e-Soleau costs €15 per deposit, kept for 5 years and renewable once. It is run by a public body but limited in time and volume. Copyright France costs €8 to €22 with a stated lifetime validity. To date an idea before a trademark or patent filing, e-Soleau remains the institutional reference.
Soleau envelope alternative →Copyright France or Fidealis
Fidealis combines a bailiff's report, timestamping and blockchain anchoring, from €95 per deposit, in packs of 50 to 500 deposits. It suits studios, agencies and law firms that deposit in volume and want a bailiff's report. Copyright France targets creators who deposit a work now and then.
Fidealis review →Copyright France or Copyright01
Copyright01 offers 3 free deposits, then packs from €4.90. Each deposit produces a SHA-256 fingerprint, a PDF certificate and a public verification page with QR code. It also accepts online content (website, YouTube, GitHub, Instagram). Copyright France keeps the edge of qualified timestamping. For immediate, free proof of authorship, or a second proof alongside an existing deposit, Copyright01 is the simplest choice.
Price, technology and legal value compared →Comparison: Copyright France vs Copyright01 (September 2026)
| Criterion | Copyright France | Copyright01 |
|---|---|---|
| Service status | Online, taken over in 2026 | Online |
| Price | €22 per deposit, €8 in a 60-pack | Free (3 deposits) then from €4.90 |
| Speed | After payment is confirmed | Instant (2 min) |
| Timestamping | eIDAS-qualified Certification Authority | SHA-256 fingerprint + digital timestamp |
| Geographic scope | Berne Convention | Berne Convention (181 countries) |
| Deposit types | Files up to 120 MB, unlimited documents | Files + URLs + GitHub + social media |
| Public verification | Not stated | QR code + public page |
| Certificate | Deposit and timestamp certificate | PDF with QR code |
| File encryption | Not stated | AES-256 + offsite backup |
| Platforms (YouTube, GitHub...) | Websites (€39 plan) | 8 platforms supported |
Copyright France prices recorded on 12 September 2026 on copyrightfrance.com. See our pricing page for details of our offers.
Add a second proof in 3 steps
Do you have deposits with Copyright France? Keep them. An independent, free and verifiable second proof protects you against any new service outage.
Create a free account
Email and password, nothing else. Sign-up takes 30 seconds, with no identity check.
Register your creations
Upload your files (text, image, audio, video, code) or paste a URL (website, YouTube, GitHub, Instagram).
Get your certificates
Each deposit produces a PDF certificate with SHA-256 fingerprint, timestamp and a public verification QR code.
Frequently asked questions
Has Copyright France closed down?
Are my older Copyright France deposits still valid?
How much does a Copyright France deposit cost in 2026?
Is Copyright France reliable?
What is the legal value of a Copyright01 certificate?
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