Protecting a work with a provisional deposit

A provisional deposit gives a work a certain date: it attests that you had it at a given moment. It is a precaution, and it is distinct from declaring a work.

To prepare the file to deposit (100 MB maximum), the title of the work, the list of co-authors where applicable or a power of attorney, and your signature.

The 4 steps

1. Deposit details — nature and archiving period.
2. Work and file — at least one title and one file.
3. Contribution and rights holders — you state the scope of the deposit.
4. Signature and summary — you review, sign and submit.

The archiving period

You choose a period of 1, 2 or 3 years.

The file

At least one title and one file are required. The file must not exceed 100 MB.

Your contribution, or the complete work

You must state whether the deposited file corresponds to:

• your contribution alone; or
• the complete work. In that case you must either declare the co-authors or attach a power of attorney allowing you to deposit on their behalf.

The signature

The signature is required: it closes the case and allows the certificate to be issued.

What it costs

The amounts below are those currently in force, and they may change.

The protection certificate

The document issued is the protection certificate. There is no deposit receipt.

Warning the certificate is only available once the deposit has reached the PROTECTED status, that is once payment has been made. And above all: protection only runs from the payment, not from the submission of the form. A case left unpaid protects nothing.

Expiry

An automatic reminder is sent to you 30 days before the archiving period you chose expires. You can then decide what to do next with your work.

Good to know a provisional deposit does not replace declaring a work. If you want the work to enter the repertoire and generate royalties, declare it (see the guide "Declaring a work").