According to U.Today, Ripple CTO David Schwartz has shared his views on the recent legal developments involving Craig Wright, an Australian Computer Scientist who has claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) has demanded that Wright cover 85% of its legal costs in the latest development in the Craig Wright v. COPA case. COPA initiated legal proceedings against Wright in February to ascertain if he was indeed Satoshi Nakamoto. However, Judge James Mellor ruled in March that Wright was not Satoshi and did not author the Bitcoin whitepaper.
Wright's defense responded to COPA's request by arguing that not defining the boundaries within which Wright can claim to be Satoshi could violate his human rights. This argument has sparked a new debate in the crypto community, with many labeling it as outright fraud. Schwartz, however, offers a more nuanced view. He suggests that Wright claiming to be Satoshi in casual conversations, where there is no direct intention to gain monetarily, might not be fraudulent. He draws a distinction between personal claims and those made with the intent to deceive for financial gain.
Schwartz proposes that a potential legal solution could be an injunction preventing Wright from using any claim to the Satoshi identity to obtain something of value. This measure would aim to protect the community and the market from any misleading claims that could influence financial decisions. Judge Mellor indicated in his written judgment in late May that the subject of injunctive relief will be debated at a Form of Order hearing scheduled after the verdict is handed down. In response to COPA's recent request, Wright's defense has requested that the amount he pays be reduced to 70% of the costs COPA incurred. As the legal drama continues, the cryptocurrency community is eagerly awaiting the next development.