The Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance, or COPA, headed up by finance firm Sq., not too long ago picked up Coinbase as a cornerstone participant.
The Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance, or COPA, headed up by finance firm Sq., not too long ago picked up Coinbase as a cornerstone participant. Sq. unveiled the group in September as a way of keeping off patent overreach — a problem that has been recognized to restrict technological development.
Coinbase senior counsel and COPA board member Brittany Cuthbert stated in a public assertion from the alliance on Friday:
“Because the crypto economic system continues to develop, we consider it is very important assist empower all tasks constructing in the direction of an open monetary system. […] We look ahead to working alongside the members of COPA to create a foundational patent protect for our trade.”
Lasting 20 years, patents basically lay declare to improvements which are deemed proprietary, barring opponents from producing related services or products, or utilizing sure expertise. Though open-source expertise is a typical theme within the crypto and blockchain trade, numerous entities have claimed patents for sure developments within the area, together with Block.one and Samsung.
The assertion additional defined:
“COPA believes that cryptocurrency’s success is dependent upon the group coming collectively to construct and develop upon current applied sciences to innovate, which isn’t attainable when events tie up foundational expertise in patents and litigation.”
Patents do have use on the planet, COPA believes, though boundaries might be overstepped, resulting in points. “Whereas patents could at instances be helpful for defensive functions, offensive and misguided use of patents threatens the expansion and adoption of rising applied sciences akin to cryptocurrencies,” the assertion reads. “There may be concern that ‘patent lockup’ of foundational cryptocurrency applied sciences by a choose few will stifle innovation and deter mass-adoption.”
Roughly 12 years in the past, pseudonymous Bitcoin (BTC) creator Satoshi Nakamoto printed their now notorious white paper. The revolution that has adopted was possible made attainable partly by the open-source underpinnings of the outlined expertise.
“COPA seeks to make foundational expertise on cryptocurrency accessible for everybody to freely use and tackles the patent lockup concern utilizing a twin strategy,” the assertion stated.
COPA presently boasts 18 members: Sq., Coinbase, Blockstream, Kraken and 14 others. Members abide by a code, which incorporates refraining from utilizing “their crypto patents in opposition to anybody, aside from defensive causes.”