- At the heart of the case was a copyright claim brought by Craig Wright over the Bitcoin whitepaper and code.
- COPA claims victory and aims to protect Bitcoin’s decentralized nature from unfair copyright claims.
- Judge Mellor cited fabricated evidence claiming Wright was Satoshi Nakamoto.
The UK’s High Court has found Craig Wright, a controversial figure who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of Bitcoin, guilty.
In a written ruling, Judge James Mellor claimed Wright lied “extensively and repeatedly” throughout the trial and further accused him of presenting “fabricated” evidence to support his claims.
COPA wins against Craig Wright.
Judge Mellor’s ruling is the culmination of a lengthy legal battle that spanned several years.
The lawsuit filed by Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) aimed to challenge Craig Wright’s claim to intellectual rights to Bitcoin code and whitepaper.
Wright’s attempts to claim ownership of this fundamental aspect of the cryptocurrency ecosystem were met with skepticism and legal resistance from many quarters.
Wright’s litigious nature, which features numerous lawsuits targeting developers and individuals critical of his claims, has raised concerns within the Bitcoin community.
However, Mellor acknowledged the negative impact Wright’s aggressive legal strategy would have on Bitcoin developers, saying it was unlikely Satoshi Nakamoto, known for his collaborative and non-confrontational approach, would resort to litigation.
Forgery and forgery of documents
The ruling highlighted allegations that Wright manipulated and falsified documents on a significant scale, all of which supported his core claim that Satoshi Nakamoto was the culprit.
The judge called Wright’s actions “clumsy” and emphasized the pivotal role these lies played in determining the outcome of the trial.
COPA, which was formed with the primary purpose of defending the openness of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, disputes Wright’s claims, arguing that such claims could stifle innovation and discourage developers from contributing to the Bitcoin network.
Throughout the trial, evidence emerged that questioned the veracity of Wright’s claims.
Documents submitted by Wright’s lawyers purportedly supporting his identity as Satoshi Nakamoto were scrutinized and revealed inconsistencies and irregularities.
Among the discrepancies noted in Judge Mellor’s decision were fonts that did not exist at the time of creation and metadata indicating recent changes to the document.
Perjury charges against Craig Wright
The legal case surrounding Craig Wright has been closely monitored by the cryptocurrency community considering its potential impact on the future of Bitcoin and the broader blockchain space.
Craig Wright has announced at
In response to the ruling, COPA hailed the decision as a victory for open innovation and the principles on which Bitcoin was founded.
The alliance reiterated its commitment to protecting the decentralized nature of the cryptocurrency ecosystem and pledged to continue its efforts to protect against unfair copyright claims.
Today’s ruling is the result of a collaborative, united effort from the entire open source community – from the developers, to the dedicated contributors who helped fund this important case, to all members of COPA. Thank you to everyone for their time, dedication and support. Your efforts…
— COPA (@opencryptoorg) May 20, 2024
As this legal showdown comes to a close, the broader implications of Judge Mellor’s ruling are having repercussions throughout the cryptocurrency landscape.
This ruling not only highlights the importance of transparency and integrity within the community, but also serves as a warning against attempts to monopolize or control the fundamentals of decentralized technologies such as Bitcoin.