Judge Rules Against Craig Wright’s Claim to Bitcoin Founder Identity
Judge James Mellor in the United Kingdom declared that Craig Wright, the Australian computer scientist, is not the true identity behind Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of the Bitcoin network.
This ruling, reported by BitMEX Research on March 14, came after closing arguments commenced in London on March 12 regarding a lawsuit initiated by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) against Wright. COPA aimed to halt Wright’s continued assertion of being Nakamoto, citing his alleged extensive fabrication of documents to support his claim.
The trial, which commenced on Feb. 5, followed Wright’s unsuccessful attempt to settle out of court on Jan. 24, met with COPA’s refusal. Established in 2020, COPA’s mission is to promote the adoption and development of cryptocurrency technologies while eliminating patents as an obstacle to progress. Notable members of COPA include Coinbase, Block, Meta, MicroStrategy, Kraken, Paradigm, Uniswap, and Worldcoin.
In a separate legal matter in 2023, Wright filed lawsuits against 13 Bitcoin Core developers and several companies, including Blockstream, Coinbase, and Block, alleging copyright infringements related to the Bitcoin white paper, its file format, and database rights to the Bitcoin blockchain.
READ MORE: BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Surpasses 200K BTC Milestone
Responding to these lawsuits, the Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund criticized them as frivolous but acknowledged their effectiveness in deterring developers from contributing to the Bitcoin community due to the associated stress, time, financial burden, and legal risks.
Wright’s registration of the Bitcoin white paper and its code for copyright in the United States in 2019 was met with controversy. The Bitcoin white paper is now governed by an MIT open-source license, permitting its reuse and modification for any purpose. Any attempts by Wright to assert further copyright claims on it would be restrained by a court injunction.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is an experienced finance journalist and a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast. With over five years of experience covering the industry, he deeply understands the complex and constantly evolving world of digital assets. His insightful and thought-provoking articles provide readers with a clear picture of the latest developments and trends in the market. His passionate approach allows him to break down complex ideas into accessible and insightful content. Follow up on his content to be up to date with the most important trends and topics - stay ahead of the curve with CoinsPress.
