Crypto Open Patent Alliance v Wright [2023] EWHC 2408 (Ch) (03 October 2023)

Crypto Open Patent Alliance v Wright [2023] EWHC 2408 (Ch) (03 October 2023)

The court held that COPA's Requests for Further Information were, in large part, necessary and proportionate to enable COPA to prepare its case and understand the case it had to meet at trial, particularly given the unique factual matrix and the central issue of Dr Wright's identity as Satoshi Nakamoto. The court rejected Dr Wright's arguments that the requests were improper, finding that CPR Part 18 provides a broad power to order further information where strictly necessary, and that the requests did not amount to impermissible pre-emptive cross-examination or 'fishing'. The court ordered Dr Wright to provide substantive answers to the majority of COPA's RFIs, subject to certain agreed...

Citation
[2023] EWHC 2408 (Ch)
Parties
Claimant in IL 2021 000019 and Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Crypto Open Patent Alliance; Defendant in IL 2021 000019 and Claimant in IL 2022 000069: Craig Steven Wright; Claimant in IL 2022 000069: Wright International Investments Limited; Claimant in IL 2022 000069: Wright International Investments UK Limited; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: BTC Core; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Wladimir Jasper van der Laan; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Jonas Schnelli; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Pieter Wuille; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Marco Patrick Falke; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Samuel Dobson; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Michael Rohan Ford; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Cory Fields; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: George Michael Dombrowski (a.k.a 'Luke Dashjr'); Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Matthew Gregory Corallo; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Peter Todd; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Gregory Fulton Maxwell; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Eric Lombrozo; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: John Newbery; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Peter John Bushnell; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Block, Inc.; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Spiral BTC, Inc.; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Squareup Europe Ltd; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Blockstream Corporation Inc.; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Chaincode Labs, Inc; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Coinbase Global Inc.; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: CB Payments, Ltd; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Coinbase Europe Limited; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Coinbase Inc.; Defendant in IL 2022 000069: Squareup International Limited
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
03 October 2023
Procedural Posture
Civil (intellectual Property, Cryptocurrency, Case Management Conference) / Interlocutory (case Management Conference, Applications for Further Information, Disclosure, Expert Evidence)
Outcome
Applications granted in part and dismissed in part; COPA's application for further information largely granted; other applications resolved as per parties' agreements or dismissed.
Legal Topics
Requests for Further Information, Disclosure, Expert Evidence, Case Management, Identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, Document Authenticity, Procedural Law
Intellectual Property Civil Procedure Cryptocurrency Requests for Further Information Disclosure Expert Evidence Case Management Identity of Satoshi Nakamoto +2 more

Case Brief

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Parties

Crypto Open Patent Alliance

Claimant in IL 2021 000019 and Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Craig Steven Wright

Defendant in IL 2021 000019 and Claimant in IL 2022 000069

Wright International Investments Limited

Claimant in IL 2022 000069

Wright International Investments UK Limited

Claimant in IL 2022 000069

BTC Core

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Wladimir Jasper van der Laan

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Jonas Schnelli

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Pieter Wuille

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Marco Patrick Falke

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Samuel Dobson

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Michael Rohan Ford

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Cory Fields

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

George Michael Dombrowski (a.k.a 'Luke Dashjr')

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Matthew Gregory Corallo

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Peter Todd

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Gregory Fulton Maxwell

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Eric Lombrozo

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

John Newbery

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Peter John Bushnell

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Block, Inc.

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Spiral BTC, Inc.

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Squareup Europe Ltd

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Blockstream Corporation Inc.

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Chaincode Labs, Inc

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Coinbase Global Inc.

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

CB Payments, Ltd

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Coinbase Europe Limited

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Coinbase Inc.

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Squareup International Limited

Defendant in IL 2022 000069

Procedural Posture

Civil (intellectual Property, Cryptocurrency, Case Management Conference) / Interlocutory (case Management Conference, Applications for Further Information, Disclosure, Expert Evidence)

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether Dr Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin
  2. 2 Whether Dr Wright must provide further information in response to COPA's Requests for Further Information (RFI)
  3. 3 Whether expert evidence on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) should be permitted

Ratio Decidendi

The court held that COPA's Requests for Further Information were, in large part, necessary and proportionate to enable COPA to prepare its case and understand the case it had to meet at trial, particularly given the unique factual matrix and the central issue of Dr Wright's identity as Satoshi Nakamoto. The court rejected Dr Wright's arguments that the requests were improper, finding that CPR Part 18 provides a broad power to order further information where strictly necessary, and that the requests did not amount to impermissible pre-emptive cross-examination or 'fishing'. The court ordered Dr Wright to provide substantive answers to the majority of COPA's RFIs, subject to certain agreed...

Court Disposition

Applications granted in part and dismissed in part; COPA's application for further information largely granted; other applications resolved as per parties' agreements or dismissed.

Orders

  • Dr Wright to provide substantive answers to COPA's Requests for Further Information as specified in the judgment.
  • Dr Wright to identify all authentic drafts of the White Paper in his disclosure, specify creation dates, and state whether altered, by 23 October 2023.