In the industry the title page is often considered to be proof of ownership. E.g. when a book doesn't sell, and book stores want it off the shelves, they may be asked to destroy the books except return the title pages to the publisher, as proof.

Yep, waaaay back when I worked part time in a book store. I've stripped paperbacks.

It would be trivial to document the ownership/destruction of the original. Video the process?