How do I protect my screenplay before pitching it?

Before pitching your screenplay to studios, producers, or development executives, obtain a qualified electronic timestamp via Swiss Trust Layer. Upload your final draft, and the timestamp creates a legal presumption under eIDAS Article 41(2) and/or ZertES SR 943.03 that your screenplay existed in that exact form at the recorded date. This is significantly more valuable than traditional approaches (self-mailing, WGA registry) because it carries a formal legal presumption of accuracy in EU and Swiss courts, cannot be backdated, and is cryptographically verifiable by any party.

Does registering with the WGA protect my screenplay internationally?

WGA registration (Writers Guild of America) provides evidence of the date you submitted your script to the WGA. It is useful evidence in US courts but has no special legal weight in Switzerland or the EU. For international protection, a qualified electronic timestamp under eIDAS Article 41 is more broadly admissible across all 27 EU member states and Switzerland. Many European screenwriters use both: WGA registration for US-related dealings and a qualified electronic timestamp for EU/Swiss legal proceedings.

Is a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) enough protection when pitching a screenplay?

An NDA is a contract-based protection that prevents the other party from disclosing or using your material without permission, but it requires the other party to sign it, does not automatically prove you created the work first, and is only as good as your ability to enforce it. If a studio later produces a similar story and claims independent creation, you need to prove your screenplay existed first. A qualified electronic timestamp on your screenplay, obtained before pitching, is the evidence that establishes creation date, independent of any agreement the other party signs.

What copyright protects my screenplay in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, a screenplay is protected as a literary and audiovisual work under the Swiss Copyright Act (URG/LDA) from the moment of its creation, without registration. The screenplay must be original, reflecting the author's individual creative expression in dialogue, structure, and narrative choices. Under the Berne Convention (Art. 5(2)), this protection extends automatically to all 175+ member countries. A qualified electronic timestamp from Swiss Trust Layer documents the exact form and date of your screenplay, providing court-admissible evidence of the creation date across Switzerland and the EU.

Can I protect a story idea or concept with copyright?

No. Copyright protects the expression of ideas: the specific words, dialogue, scene descriptions, and structure of your screenplay, not the underlying idea, theme, or concept itself. Two screenwriters can independently write films about the same premise (a heist, a forbidden romance, a dystopian future) without infringing each other's copyright. What is protected is the specific creative expression. This is why documenting the specific text of your screenplay with a qualified timestamp is critical. You are protecting your particular expression of an idea, which is the legally recognised object of copyright protection.

Protect Your Screenplay Before You Pitch: Legal Guide

Protéger votre scénario avant de le pitcher : le guide juridique pour les auteurs

Pitcher un scénario non protégé à un studio ou un producteur est le risque de propriété intellectuelle le plus élevé pour un auteur. Un horodatage certifié ZertES ou équivalent WGA crée une antériorité irréfutable — voici exactement ce qu'il faut faire avant votre première réunion.

Philipp Stuppnik· Co-Founder & IP Strategy

·June 3, 2026· 7 min de lecture

En janvier 2025, une scenariste genevoise nommee Sofia Meier a presente le concept d'une serie limitee a une plateforme de streaming europeenne de taille moyenne lors d'une reunion de developpement. Le pitch portait sur un arc narratif de six episodes, trois personnages specifiques et une structure d'intrigue qu'elle avait developpee pendant huit mois. Quatorze mois plus tard, elle a reconnu sa structure narrative et deux de ses personnages dans une serie annoncee par la meme plateforme. Sofia disposait d'un brouillon PDF date par les metadonnees de son stockage en ligne. Son avocat lui a indique que cet horodatage ne resisterait pas a une procedure contentieuse.

Tous les scenaristes recoivent le conseil de proteger leur script avant de le pitcher. La plupart ne savent pas ce que cette protection signifie reellement, quels systemes ont une valeur juridique, et lesquels echouent au moment critique: lorsque le litige survient dans une juridiction differente de celle ou le script a ete initialement documente.

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Protéger votre scénario avant de le pitcher : le guide juridique pour les auteurs

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