- Meta makes a shock termination of its COPA membership.
- Speculation is mounting on the reason behind Meta’s exit.
- The COPA v. Wright trial will start soon.
The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) launched in 2020, representing a unified front by tech firms such as Coinbase and MicroStrategy to enable the royalty-free sharing of patented crypto technologies. However, ahead of the COPA v. Wright trial, which intends to test Craig Wright’s Bitcoin copyright holder claim, social media platform Meta made a shock termination of its membership.
Meta’s sudden withdrawal from COPA has fueled speculation about the upcoming UK High Court trial, especially since COPA soundly rejected a settlement offer made by Wright to end legal proceedings.
Meta Bails on COPA
Social media is awash with speculation on Meta’s COPA exit ahead of the upcoming trial. Gorilla Pool founder Kurt Wuckert Jr suggested that Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg took exception to COPA’s rejection of Wright’s settlement offer before the group could discuss the matter.
YouTuber Gavin Mehl expressed the opinion that private membership groups should discuss important issues collectively, with members voting to accept or reject matters that impact the group. Mehl also added that even if he favored rejecting Wright’s offer, he would feel aggrieved over not having the opportunity to vote as a group on the issue.
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“But rather than having that meeting, somebody at COPA gave a knee-jerk reaction, without giving its other members due process, rejecting the offer,” stated Mehl.
While Meta no longer appears on COPA’s membership page, there is uncertainty about whether the company can leave the coalition. According to COPA’s rules, members can voluntarily withdraw only after three years of becoming a member. Meta joined COPA in November 2021.
Wright’s Settlement Offer
Aside from COPA’s rules, Meta’s exit has given Wright’s supporters ammunition ahead of the trial, leading some to wonder whether the settlement offer was a strategic move designed to unsettle the alliance.
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Under the terms of the settlement offer, Wright agreed to no longer pursue database rights and copyright claims regarding the BTC, BCH, and ABC blockchains. However, in exchange, COPA members must recognize Wright as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto and acknowledge the BSV blockchain as the true Bitcoin.
Wright maintains that Bitcoin was always intended as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system capable of accommodating micro-transactions at scale. The BSV creator sees the BTC blockchain as deviating from Satoshi’s intention.
On the Flipside
- COPA’s staunch settlement offer rejection highlights the strength of feeling against Wright‘s claim of being Satoshi Nakamoto.
- The COPA vs. Wright trial starts on February 5.
- Meta is currently subject to a congressional hearing on the company‘s lack of impetus around online child safety.
Why This Matters
The landscape for this critical Satoshi copyright case remains uncertain due to apparent internal disagreements within the COPA alliance. Wright supporters have interpreted the conflict as a sign that COPA is faltering ahead of the trial. Bitcoin discourse will be shaped for years, regardless of the ultimate trial outcome.
Read more about Wright’s Satoshi evidence being deemed fraudulent here:
Wright’s Satoshi Claim Takes Bashing as COPA Strikes Back
Find out about the response to Wright’s COPA settlement offer here:
Satoshi Settlement Offer Met With Calls For “No Mercy”
