Tag: copa

COPA Sues Self-Declared Bitcoin Founder Craig Wright

Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance (COPA), an initiative created by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s payment company Square, has moved to sue Craig Wright over the Bitcoin white paper.

Craig Wright, an Australian programmer and the creator of hard fork Bitcoin SV and its underlying token BSV, made waves in the crypto community with his claim of being the creator of Bitcoin (BTC) and the identity behind Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous BTC founder.

COPA moved to file a lawsuit with the UK’s High Court of Justice, refuting Wright’s ownership to the Bitcoin white paper and his claims of being the rightful author. The crypto organization tweeted:

“Today, COPA initiated a lawsuit asking the UK High Court to declare that Mr. Craig Wright does not have copyright ownership over the Bitcoin White Paper. We stand in support of the Bitcoin developer community and the many others who’ve been threatened for hosting the White Paper.”

The non-profit organization, which is designed to protect blockchain and crypto-based companies from patent hoarding trolls, is seeking an injunction from the Court, so that Wright cannot claim ownership to the Bitcoin white paper. This will enable anyone that has published the official document to be protected legally.

Currently, COPA has a copy of the white paper posted on its official website. COPA’s lawsuit against Wright comes as a response to the latter’s claim that he has copyright over the Bitcoin white paper. In January, Wright’s attorneys sent letters to COPA, Bitcoin.org, and Bitcoincore.org notifying them of Wright’s intention to sue to “enforce his copyright in the White Paper.”

COPA responded, demanding evidence to the claim. “Please explain on what basis you assert that your client is the individual behind the pseudonym ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ and is the author of the White Paper,” COPA wrote.

COPA’s request for an injunction comes as a response to Wright’s claims of being the Bitcoin founder.

The Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance was created by Square in 2020 to enhance cryptocurrency and blockchain companies’ growth and innovation and to protect them against patent trolling. Patent trolling is a practice through which a company attempts to stifle the competition and reap profits by locking up the patent and suing others for copyright infringement.

From 2020 to now, COPA has grown and its members include reputable crypto firms such as Coinbase, Kraken, OKCoin, Blockstream, and MicroStrategy.

Craig Wright's Settlement Offer in Bitcoin Litigation Sparks Debate Over Decentralization

Dr. Craig Wright, who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, has made a significant move by offering a settlement to the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) and other key parties in the ongoing legal confrontations over Bitcoin. This move comes amidst his efforts to assert his claims over Bitcoin’s original vision and its decentralized nature.

Wright’s settlement proposal, outlined in a letter published on his personal blog, suggests waiving his database rights and copyrights related to BTC, BCH, and ABC databases, offering an irrevocable license to his opposing parties. The central claim revolves around the decentralization of Bitcoin, a core principle Wright emphasizes as being threatened by potential centralization from entities like Meta. The settlement terms also include a demand that COPA and others refrain from creating, copying, or forking Bitcoin, and publicly acknowledge the cryptocurrency’s intended purpose as per Wright’s interpretation.

The response from the crypto community has been mixed, with some seeing the offer as an attempt by Wright to reinforce his claim as Satoshi Nakamoto and steer Bitcoin’s future. Critics argue that Wright’s actions could be construed as an effort to centralize control over Bitcoin, contradicting the cryptocurrency’s decentralized ethos.

However, Wright’s focus remains on the fixed, immutable protocol of Bitcoin, which he argues is key to maintaining its decentralized nature. He stresses that the stability of this protocol ensures that no single individual or group can unilaterally alter Bitcoin’s fundamental aspects. This perspective aligns with his broader argument against extensible systems, which he believes could lead to power dynamics undermining decentralization.

The essence of Wright’s argument lies in the immutability of Bitcoin’s protocol, which he views as critical for preserving its decentralized structure. This resistance to changes, he posits, is what differentiates Bitcoin from more flexible systems where rules and protocols are susceptible to alterations by limited parties.

In response to the settlement offer, members of COPA and other involved parties must decide whether to engage in settlement discussions or continue the legal battle. They have until 4pm on January 31st to review and accept or deny Wright’s offer.

The outcome of this settlement offer and the ongoing debates over decentralization in the crypto world underscore the complex dynamics at play in the governance and future direction of Bitcoin and similar digital currencies.

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