Building a Verified
Image Archive
from Day One
Authorship isn't something you prove after a dispute. It's something you establish before one ever happens. The provenance archive is the record that says — with timestamps, metadata snapshots, and export history — you were here first.
The Problem With Proving Anything After the Fact
Someone uses your image without credit. You want to prove it's yours.
Where's the evidence?
Original file on your hard drive
Easy to fabricate. Timestamps can be modified.
Social media post date
Platforms strip metadata. No embedded proof of authorship.
Lightroom catalogue
Local database. Not independently verifiable.
Email to yourself
Weak evidence. No structured metadata snapshot.
The truth is uncomfortable:
Most photographers have no verifiable, structured, timestamped record of their authorship. They only realise this when they need one.
The Provenance Archive Model
ContextEmbed is building toward an opt-in archive that creates a verifiable record of authorship — not after the fact, but at the moment of processing.
Timeline Records
Every image processed through ContextEmbed gets a timestamped record: when it was uploaded, when it was analysed, when metadata was generated, and when it was exported. This creates a chronological chain of evidence.
2025-06-14T09:32:11Z — uploaded
2025-06-14T09:32:18Z — AI analysis complete
2025-06-14T09:32:24Z — metadata embedded
2025-06-14T09:33:01Z — exported (Web Pack)
2025-06-14T09:33:01Z — archive record created
Versioned Exports
Each export creates a new version record. If you re-process an image with updated context, both versions are retained — the original and the revision. The archive shows the evolution, not just the final state.
Content Fingerprinting
A cryptographic hash of the image content is stored alongside the metadata snapshot. This links the visual content to the authorship record in a way that can't be retroactively fabricated.
Metadata Snapshots
The full metadata state at the time of export is captured and stored: every IPTC field, every XMP property, every keyword. Not just that metadata existed — what it contained.
Legal Defensibility
An archive is only useful if it's defensible. That means structure, immutability, and independent verifiability.
First-Party Evidence
Timestamped metadata snapshots stored in a system you control — not a social platform that can change its terms or delete your account.
Immutable Records
Once an archive record is created, it cannot be modified or deleted. Revisions create new records — the original always persists.
Exportable Evidence
Archive records can be exported as structured JSON, CSV, or PDF — suitable for legal proceedings, DMCA claims, or copyright registration.
Independent Storage
Archive data is stored separately from the image files themselves. Even if you delete a project, the provenance record remains.
The Long-Term Vision
The provenance archive is being built in stages. Here's where it's heading.
Processing Logs & Audit Trail
Every image processed through ContextEmbed is logged with timestamps, status changes, and export records. Available today.
Metadata Snapshots & Content Hashing
Full field-level snapshots at export time. Cryptographic hashes linking content to authorship records.
Public Verification & C2PA Integration
Optional public verification endpoints. Integration with C2PA/Content Credentials for cross-platform provenance.
This isn't a blockchain pitch.
It's a practical, standards-based approach to provenance: structured metadata, timestamped records, cryptographic hashes, and exportable evidence. No tokens. No gas fees. Just proof that you were first.
Why Start Now?
Because the archive starts from the first image you process.
Every image you don't process is a gap in your provenance record.
The best time to start building a verified archive was years ago. The second best time is today.
3 exports • live web app • no guessing