COPA Vs. Wright Saga Continues: Self-Proclaimed Bitcoin Inventor Skips Contempt Case Hearing

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As a seasoned crypto investor who has seen my fair share of twists and turns in this ever-evolving digital economy, I find myself once again intrigued by the ongoing saga between Craig Wright and the Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance (COPA).

Today, it was reported that Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist, missed his UK court appearance because he allegedly lacked the means to travel. He’s currently involved in a contempt of court case concerning his lawsuit against Bitcoin Core developers. If the accusations are confirmed, he could potentially face imprisonment.

COPA Vs. Wright Saga Continues

This coming Wednesday, Craig Wright – an Australian computer scientist who claims to be the inventor of Bitcoin – was set to attend a court hearing at the Royal Court of Justice in London for the contempt of court case filed against him.

The courtroom assistants stated that Wright was absent from court because he didn’t have the resources for transportation. However, as per the court transcripts provided by BitMEX Research, the individual claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto communicated to the attendees via email that he wouldn’t be in attendance.

In October, the Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance (COPA) submitted an application alleging contempt, following a lawsuit worth approximately $1.2 billion filed by Craig Wright against the Bitcoin Core Developers and Jack Dorsey’s Square Up European Limited.

In the request for contempt, COPA claimed that the computer scientist violated the order stemming from the Bitcoin Authorship lawsuit by disobeying its terms. This order instructed Wright to acknowledge he was not Satoshi Nakamoto and stop any further legal proceedings regarding debunked authorship assertions.

In an early November court hearing, the fake Satoshi denied COPA’s accusations, arguing that his latest legal battle was “fundamentally different” from an identity claim as it was based on his “contributions to the development, maintenance, and extension of the Bitcoin Blockchain.”

In response to this situation, Wright personally stated that he was not intentionally disobeying the court, yet he was open to modifying his lawsuit if the court deemed his actions as violating the court’s order.

In a court case, the person who calls himself the creator of Bitcoin argued that the developers of Bitcoin Core and their associates have given a false impression about Bitcoin (BTC), stating that Bitcoin SV (BSV) is the genuine form of Bitcoin instead.

In simpler terms, Judge Mellor paused Wright’s lawsuits until the Contempt case was fully addressed and scheduled a hearing for December 18. At this hearing, it was brought up that since Wright had joined the initial hearing remotely from Singapore, his physical presence would be necessary in future proceedings.

In a subsequent hearing, the court ordered Wright to return to the UK for today’s hearing.

COPA Asks For 2-Year Sentence Over Bitcoin Core Case

According to the spokesperson for COPA, Jonathan Hough, it was disclosed that the organization proposed to take care of travel costs. However, Wright declined this proposal, explaining that it didn’t compensate for his financial losses related to work.

For the very first time, CSW claimed he can’t afford to travel. Previously this year, he had arranged for expenses of approximately £10m in other instances, so this recent explanation should be met with a significant level of doubt, according to Hough’s statement.

The conversation via email persisted, as the Australian computer expert expressed his requirement of approximately 240,000 British pounds to compensate for travel costs and business setbacks.

As a researcher, I find myself constrained due to the measures taken by COPA, which impedes my operations as intended. Regrettably, even with the £240,000 funding at hand, I would still be unable to perform optimally, let alone undertake necessary travels to fulfill my obligations.

It’s worth noting that Hough requested “a sentence of 2 years and a following term of 6 months if CSW does not withdraw the new claim,” noting that Wright is “staying out of jurisdiction to avoid consequences.”

Following the confirmation that Wright would not be present, Judge James Mellor opted to carry on with the hearing and deliver his verdict on Thursday, December 19 at 2 pm UK time. He requested the legal counsel for COPA to extend an invitation to Wright for the sentencing before adjourning the proceedings.

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2024-12-19 09:42