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.

Industry Solutions

在提案之前保护你的剧本：编剧法律指南

Philipp Stuppnik · Co-Founder & IP Strategy

2026年6月3日 7 分钟阅读最后更新 2026年9月8日

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In short

把没有任何保护的剧本拿给制片厂或制片人，是编剧能承担的最大知识产权风险。ZertES 或与 WGA 同等效力的认证时间戳能留下无可辩驳的在先证据。第一次会面前该做什么，本文一步步说明。

2025年1月，日内瓦编剧索菲亚·迈耶在一次项目开发会议上，向一家中型欧洲流媒体平台推介了一部限定剧集的构想。该推介涵盖六集叙事弧线、三个具体角色，以及她耗时八个月开发的故事结构。十四个月后，她在同一平台宣布的一部剧集中认出了自己的故事结构和两个角色。索菲亚手头有一份以云端存储元数据标注日期的PDF草稿，但她的律师告诉她，这个时间戳在争议程序中站不住脚。

每位编剧都被告知要在推介前保护好剧本。然而，大多数人并不清楚这种保护的实际含义，哪些系统具有法律效力，哪些系统会在最关键的时刻失效，即当争议发生在剧本最初记录所在地之外的司法管辖区时。

使用 Swiss Trust Layer AG 保护您的作品

使用由 Swisscom Trust Services 支持的司法认可 e-Seal 封存您的知识产权。

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