By Evan Spicer
Director of Cryptocurrency Investigations
MyChargeBack
Craig Wright, the self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin, has won an appeal in the UK High Court that will allow him to pursue a copyright claim against the website Bitcoin.org.
Wright claims that he is the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, known as Satoshi Nakamoto, and that he owns the rights to the original white paper that describes the protocol of the cryptocurrency. He also claims that Bitcoin.org, which hosts a copy of the white paper, is infringing his intellectual property by doing so.
Bitcoin.org, which is run by an anonymous individual or group using the pseudonym Cøbra, denies Wright’s claims and argues that the white paper is in the public domain. Cøbra also contends that Wright is not Nakamoto and that his claim is an attempt to rewrite the history of Bitcoin.
In June, Wright won a default judgment against Cøbra after the latter failed to mount a defense in court. However, Cøbra appealed the decision on the grounds that the UK court did not have jurisdiction over the case, since Cøbra is not a UK resident and Bitcoin.org is not a UK-based website.
On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Wright and dismissed Cøbra’s case. The court found that Wright had established a good argument that Cøbra had committed acts of infringement in the UK by making the white paper available to UK visitors of Bitcoin.org. The court also found that Cøbra had submitted to the jurisdiction of the UK court by engaging with Wright’s legal representatives and by filing an appeal.
The ruling means that Wright can proceed with his claim for an injunction and damages against Cøbra in the UK. However, it does not mean that Wright has proven his identity as Nakamoto or his ownership of the white paper. Those issues will be decided at a trial, if Cøbra decides to defend the claim.
Wright’s legal team welcomed the decision and said that it was an important step in protecting Wright’s rights and reputation. They also said that they hoped that Cøbra would respect the court’s authority and comply with any orders that may be issued.
Cøbra, on the other hand, expressed disappointment and frustration with the outcome. They said that they were considering their options and that they would continue to fight for the principles of Bitcoin and free speech. They also said that they believed that Wright’s claim was baseless and motivated by greed and ego.
