Craig Wright Referred for Perjury Prosecution, Receives Injunctions in COPA Case
Final arguments in the the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) vs. Craig Wright’s assertion that he is Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, and to prevent him from continuing to make such claims.
Swan Bitcoin
Jul 16, 2024July 16, 20242 min read2 minutes read
Craig Wright has been referred for prosecution for perjury following a ruling today by Judge James Mellor in the COPA vs. Craig Wright trial. This case has been closely watched by the Bitcoin community, as it revolves around Wright’s contentious claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.
Judge Mellor’s written judgment categorically dismisses Wright’s assertions of being Nakamoto and accuses him of engaging in extensive forgery and perjury. Mellor described Wright’s evidence as “fabricated and/or based on documents that have been forged on a grand scale” and concluded that Wright lied to the court repeatedly and extensively (COPA)(CoinTelegraph).
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), which initiated the lawsuit to prevent Wright from claiming he is Nakamoto, stated in its closing arguments that it would seek to have the documents submitted by Wright referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration of perjury charges. COPA’s spokesperson hailed the ruling as a victory for the open-source community, emphasizing that developers can now continue their work on the Bitcoin network without the threat of costly and time-consuming litigation from Wright (CoinTelegraph).
In addition to the referral for perjury prosecution, Judge Mellor issued several injunctions against Wright.
These include a permanent injunction preventing Wright from claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto and from asserting any intellectual property rights over the Bitcoin white paper and related technologies. The court’s decision aims to protect the open-source community from further false claims and legal actions by Wright, ensuring that the development and innovation within the Bitcoin ecosystem can proceed unimpeded (COPA) (CoinTelegraph).
If Craig Wright is prosecuted and found guilty of perjury, he could face severe penalties. In the United Kingdom, perjury is a serious offense under the Perjury Act 1911. The maximum penalty for perjury is up to seven years in prison. Additionally, individuals convicted of perjury may face significant fines and a criminal record. The severity of the sentence typically depends on the nature of the lies, the context in which they were made (COPA) (CoinTelegraph).
The full judgment can be accessed through the UK Judiciary’s official website for those interested in a detailed account of the case and Judge Mellor’s comprehensive findings (COPA).
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