The non-profit Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) trial to contest Dr. Craig Wright’s claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto began on Feb. 5 in the UK under the gavel of Mr. Justice Mellor. The examination of Dr. Wright begins today, Feb. 6.
Statements from COPA on day one shared with CryptoSlate paint a stark portrayal of Dr. Wright’s claims to be Satoshi, branding Dr. Wright’s assertions as “a brazen lie” and “an elaborate false narrative supported by forgery on an industrial scale.”
COPA intends to prove allegations against Dr. Wright, including using artificial intelligence for document forgery, submitting anachronistic handwritten notes, manipulating electronic document metadata, and painting a picture of a case mired in complexity and controversy.
A previous focus of the Dr. Wright lawsuit, Hodlonaut stated that on day one,
“Craig had “found” a FOURTH tranche of evidence in the eleventh hour, after the three previous ones had been found to be forgeries, and now wanted to rely on those.”
Hodlonaut commented that the new evidence was also forged, citing
“Most hilariously, Craig has submitted photos of a computer screen, supposedly sent to him by a mysterious lawyer “Mr Makaya”. Unfortunately for Wright, the photos show (among many other things) a Google Chrome icon with what seems to be Craig’s picture, showing him as logged in.”
COPA v WRIGHT Day 2 begins.
At the start of day two, the heart of the dispute are allegations of forgery and the authenticity of documents critical to the case’s outcomes.
Mr. Justice Mellor began the day explaining how he had broadened the scope of the trial by permitting COPA to introduce up to 20 additional allegations of forgery. In response to the evolving demands of the case, Dr. Wright submitted “Wright 11,” a document exceeding 330 pages and nearly 1,250 paragraphs.
The size and substance of this submission have sparked discussions regarding its relevance and compliance with procedural norms, leading to a consensus on most of its content while reserving some matters for the court’s determination.
Dr. Wright’s responses to evidence provided by COPA were described as “long, rambling” and in parts “irrelevant” by Justice Mellor.
The issue of expert evidence has also come to the fore, with the court referencing previous legal principles and cases to navigate the admissibility and scrutiny of such testimony. Additionally, Mr. Justice Mellor’s concern over Dr. Wright’s pattern of late document disclosures stressed the court’s intolerance for procedural delays, indicating that future permissions for late submissions will be scrutinized closely.
Moreover, the court has addressed the potential ramifications of public access to trial documents and the influence of social media, seeking measures to safeguard the integrity of the evidence and mitigate defamation risks.
Next up is the examination of Dr. Wright, who was sworn in under oath around 11 am and will be questioned about his 12 witness statements.
Upon taking the stand, Wright was asked if he had ever forged documents to support his claim to be Satoshi. He responded, “No… I have not.”
As the legal battle progresses today, CryptoSlate will continue its coverage as information comes to light.