[MaxPower2k3]

I'm thinking of starting a website that involves ideas being published on the site. what i'm wondering is, what is the best way to protect the people from having their ideas stolen. i think the safest way would be to print it out and have it notarized, but doing this for many ideas would be too much work, not to mention expensive. VeriSign offers document notarization online, but it's a) expensive and b) windows-only. i know there are some lawyers/legal connoisseurs who post on here, so does anyone know of a good way to protect an idea online that's cheap and, more importantly, safe (i.e. the idea's creator would have enough evidence to take legal action against the person who stole it).

thanks,
Max

[MaxPower2k3]

i had a look at PGP which can digitally sign files (whose signature can be read and verified, including a date) and it looks to do what i want, but the problem is that if i sign files as proof that a person had an idea at a certain time, and send them the signature file, that ties me up in any dispute that might arise, which is the last thing i want. so i might say something on the site along the lines of "post here, but if you want to secure your idea, download this program and create a document with your idea in it and then digitally sign it." but that's an added hassle for the user. so, i'll clarify my original post. is there any way to make this as safe as possible for the user, without tying me up in any legal disputes?

[Millennium]

Originally posted by MaxPower2k3:
is there any way to make this as safe as possible for the user, without tying me up in any legal disputes?

In short, no.

In a case where people dispute over who "owns" an idea, there has to be proof on one side or the other, or there isn't much of a case. If you are willing to provide that proof, by means of signing documents, then you will almost inevitably be called upon to provide it in a court of law and, at the very least, swear to its accuracy.

Your best bet, if you don't want to be pulled into legal disputes, would be to try and partner with another site which provides such services. I don't know if there are any which do quite what you want, but it's worth a look.