In a significant development for the Bitcoin community, the original Bitcoin whitepaper has once again become accessible on the Bitcoin.org website. This follows a series of legal battles involving Craig Wright, who claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.
Wright’s failure to provide evidence in court resulted in the reinstatement of the whitepaper, which had been taken down due to a copyright lawsuit initiated by him.
The legal dispute over Bitcoin’s founding document began when Wright sued the operators of Bitcoin.org, led by the pseudonymous figure Cøbra, for copyright infringement in 2021. Wright asserted that he had authored the influential document, leading to a court order that forced the website to remove the whitepaper from view in the UK.
Despite an initial victory for Wright, his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, and consequently the copyright holder of the Bitcoin whitepaper, was significantly weakened during subsequent legal proceedings.
The turning point in the legal battle came when a UK High Court ruled in March 2024 that Craig Wright was not Satoshi Nakamoto. The judgment was scathing, with the presiding judge stating that Wright had engaged in “technobabble” and had lied “extensively” during the proceedings.
This ruling cleared the path for the Bitcoin whitepaper to be reinstated on Bitcoin.org. The site’s current maintainer, Hennadii Stepanov, announced the update on X (formerly Twitter), celebrating the return of bitcoin.pdf to Bitcoin Core’s domain.
Throughout the legal disputes, the global crypto community rallied behind the importance of open access to the Bitcoin whitepaper. Despite Wright’s claims and legal actions, various entities, including tech companies like Square and governments in the US, Estonia, and Colombia, continued to host the document.
Additionally, an individual compiled a list of over 100 websites that defiantly published the whitepaper as a form of protest against Wright’s aggressive stance.
The restoration of the Bitcoin whitepaper to Bitcoin.org signifies more than just a procedural update. It represents a triumph for transparency and the decentralized principles of the cryptocurrency community.
This outcome reaffirms the whitepaper’s status as a public domain work and highlights the significance of maintaining open access to foundational crypto texts. It serves as a reminder of the community’s resilience and its dedication to resisting censorship.
As Bitcoin progresses, the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains an intriguing mystery, separate from the practical and philosophical advancements of Bitcoin itself. The re-posting of the Bitcoin whitepaper symbolizes a return to these core principles and ideals, which have propelled Bitcoin’s growth from an obscure digital project to a major financial asset.
The copyright saga surrounding the whitepaper has not only tested the legal boundaries of digital copyright and identity but has also reinforced the collective spirit of the crypto community in upholding the principles of decentralization and accessibility.
Tags: BTC