The Crypto Open Patent Alliance is demanding that Craig Wright pay 85% of its legal costs.COPA took Wright to court in February to find out if he was Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of bitcoin.The presiding judge of the case, James Mellor, ruled that Wright was not Nakamoto in March.
As a long-time crypto investor who has closely followed the Satoshi Nakamoto saga, I find it both intriguing and disappointing that Craig Wright’s legal battle with the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) continues to unfold. The recent developments in this case, including the request for Wright to pay 85% of COPA’s legal costs, are a reminder of the time and resources wasted on this prolonged legal dispute.Last Friday, the legal team representing the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) requested Judge James Mellor to order Craig Wright to cover 85% of the costs we incurred during our legal proceedings.
As a researcher, I delved into the intriguing case of Craig Wright and the long-standing debate over his alleged identity as Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. For years, Wright had made bold claims in various courts that he was indeed Nakamoto, but now the Court of Protection in the U.K. aimed to bring clarity to this matter. In February, I watched as COPA escorted Wright before the court to prove his allegations. However, in March, the English judiciary handed down its decision: Craig Wright was neither the creator of Bitcoin nor the author of the groundbreaking whitepaper associated with it.
In the capacity of a representative for COPA, Jonathan Hough requested a civil restraining order against Wright to prohibit him from initiating any further lawsuits due to his history of issuing threats. Additionally, COPA proposed submitting a compilation of online content that Wright should consider removing.

Hough advocated presenting this case for further criminal investigation in light of the court’s determination that Wright had forged multiple documents throughout the trial. Additionally, the Bitcoin developers involved requested that Wright cover 85.2% of their legal expenses.

Unless Wright was prevented from doing so, he would continue to “propagate lies,” Hough argued.

As an analyst, I would express it this way: “I strongly advocate for putting an end to these lengthy legal disputes involving Wright’s cases against companies like Coinbase (COIN) and Kraken, which have been ongoing for over five years.”

Hitting back

Wright’s legal team contended that failing to define the boundaries within which Wright can claim to be Nakamoto might violate his fundamental human rights.

If Dr. Wright made a statement in an email to a medical professional that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, his lawyer, Craig Orr, commented that such a declaration represents a publication of this assertion. Regarding the proposal for Wright to remove all his related posts, Orr considered it as exploitative or parasitic. In addition, they requested the cost Wright would pay be reduced to 70% of what COPA (the plaintiff) incurred.

As a legal analyst, I found myself in a packed room where individuals from the legal community eagerly anticipated the conclusion of the ongoing trial. Among them, we waited with bated breath as evidence was presented, one piece at a time. One particularly intriguing moment came when Hough played back recorded footage from the Oxford Union debate in 2019 featuring Wright’s own words.

“Yes, there is altered pages,” Wright said in the video that bellowed across the court room.

“I have a court appearance coming up, so I won’t be engaging with internet trolls any longer. Let me remind you that perjury in a court of law carries a severe penalty – up to 20 years in prison. In the real world, where facts and rules matter, people provide evidence to support their claims.”

As an analyst, I would rephrase it this way: I noticed that numerous lawyers intervened on behalf of companies such as Coinbase during the hearing, presenting fresh perspectives and challenging certain expense estimates put forth.

Mellor, whose facial expression grew increasingly uncertain as the trial progressed, announced at its conclusion that he wouldn’t be able to deliver a judgement right away. However, he planned to render a decision concerning costs beforehand, followed by a determination on the type of injunctive relief the court would grant. Injunctive relief refers to a legal remedy aimed at stopping defendants from carrying out certain actions.

CoinDesk didn’t receive detailed information from the court straightaway concerning the precise moment of the judgment.

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2024-06-07 22:55