The mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto published the famous Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008, outlining the concept of a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. But the true identity of Satoshi has long been debated. In 2016, Australian computer scientist Craig Wright claimed he was Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.
Wright is now being sued by the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase in a case set for trial in February 2024. Coinbase is seeking legal clarity regarding the authorship and copyright ownership of the Bitcoin whitepaper through the nonprofit Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance (COPA).
Specifically, COPA is requesting three declarations from the court:
A declaration that Wright is NOT the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper.
A declaration that Wright does NOT own the copyright to the Bitcoin whitepaper.
A declaration that COPA’s use of the Bitcoin whitepaper does not infringe on any of Wright’s copyrights.
Essentially, COPA wants the court to legally establish that Craig Wright did not write the Bitcoin whitepaper and does not own its copyright. This would allow COPA and others to freely share and build upon the ideas in the whitepaper without fear of copyright infringement allegations by Wright.
The high-stakes trial could have major implications on the ownership and open-source ethos of foundational Bitcoin documents. This video summarizes the key relief COPA is seeking from the court regarding the authorship and copyright status of the iconic Bitcoin whitepaper.
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