The self-proclaimed creator of Bitcoin, Craig Wright, demanded that Bitcoin.org and Bitcoincore.org remove the Bitcoin white paper, accusing them of copyright infringement. The owner of Bitcoin.org, Cobra, refused to comply with the demand.
Letter on behalf of Craig Wright to @CobraBitcoin about Bitcoin copyright and hosting the whitepaper at bitcoindotorg:
Grab your popcorn 🍿#BSV pic.twitter.com/CkCn3UwypV
— cryptorebel_SV u/1479 (@cryptorebel_SV) January 21, 2021
In a letter prepared by Ontier’s lawyers, copyright on Craig Wright’s Bitcoin white paper, the name “Bitcoin,” and ownership of the Bitcoin.org domain were asserted.
In response, Cobra called all the lawyer’s statements “false” and “baseless.” He explained that the refusal to remove the Bitcoin white paper from the site was due to the document’s MIT license, which presumes its free distribution.
Cobra also reminded that Satoshi Nakamoto holds a PGP public key through which he can verify his identity, and noted that Craig Wright has not done so yet.
We’ve published a notice regarding CSW, the Bitcoin whitepaper, and Bitcoin Core’s recent actions.https://t.co/M2jP4FS24i
— Cøbra (@CobraBitcoin) January 21, 2021
“We will continue hosting the Bitcoin white paper, and we will not be silenced or intimidated. Other sites hosting the technical document should follow our example and stand up to these false accusations.”
At the same time, Cobra noted that bitcoincore.org has already removed its copy of the document and links to it, which is reflected on GitHub.
“By engaging in self-censorship in this way, the Bitcoin Core developers have confirmed the false statements of Bitcoin’s enemies, jeopardising its integrity,” wrote Cobra.
As noted in May 2019, Craig Wright registered copyright on the Bitcoin white paper and the Bitcoin Core source code. Later, the U.S. Copyright Office explained that copyright registration is not equivalent to an official patent, and they did not recognise Wright as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.
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