Craig Wright makes settlement offer in COPA case to ‘give up’ some rights

Wright's proposed settlement waives database claims on the core Bitcoin network and Bitcoin Cash.
Oluwapelumi Adejumo
Jan. 24, 2024 at 4:22 pm UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Ads by HypeLab
Dr. Craig Wright, the controversial Australian computer scientist, has backtracked from his impending legal battle with the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) by proposing a settlement offer for the trial.
According to a Jan. 24 statement, Wright’s proposed offer includes the relinquishment of database rights and copyright claims on “Bitcoin Core (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and ABC Bitcoin (ABC).”

“This settlement offer preserves my objective of maintaining the integrity of the Bitcoin system as it was initially developed, while limiting (for all parties) the needless expense of a lengthy High Court trial, which would take our collective focus away from supporting, adopting and advancing digital currency technologies,” Wright wrote.

Wright’s proposal

Wright also stated that he intends to grant an ‘irrevocable license’ to entities operating these databases, fostering open commercialization of technologies and supporting intellectual property rights.
He demanded that COPA publicly recognizes that that the digital assets now serve distinct purposes not initially envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous developer of BTC. The scientist also urged the group to refrain from asserting representation of the original Bitcoin vision and instead publicly acknowledge the intended purpose of Bitcoin was facilitating “small casual transactions.”
Further, the proposal stipulated that COPA members should be barred from creating a new Bitcoin database through copying, forking, or any similar means. They are also expected to actively prevent third parties from undertaking such actions.
Notably, the controversial figure proposes that all involved parties contribute a charitable donation to Burnside, a Uniting Church in Australia. This donation should cover the anticipated costs of pursuing the claims until the trial’s conclusion or until cost awards are granted in their favor.