Post by Trojan Dorsey

POOR MAN'S COPYRIGHT?

An interesting thing happened: a guy named Arthur Van Pelt was all about confronting me on X over Craig's scientific background, etc. but when I told him I wasn't interested in that because as an artist my primary interest was the copyright issues, he immediately cease and desisted.

I was familiar with AVP's work as I had read most of it during the Kleiman-Wright trial and explained he had a critical flaw in his research where he assumes certain IP doesn't exist in order to build a narrative.

To his credit, he claimed his evidence for the IP not existing was that the Australian government told him so. If you're a "Law and Order" type this carries weight because ya'll believe if daddy gubby says it must be credible. But for me, I laughed at any adult trusting anything any government would say, especially in a situation where the invention could be perceived as a threat to their control.

I told Artie if by chance the ATO is lying and the IP includes something as basic as a "poor man's copyright" on the word "Bitcoin," it would actually tie the whole story together. Because it would be nearly impossible to calculate the value of owning a copyright or trademark on the word Bitcoin. AVP left when I explained that computer nerds don't think of this stuff because they use math and logic instead of feelings…

(It was in fact, this hole in Van Pelt's research that convinced me Craig is likely Satoshi.)

A "poor man's copyright" was something artists used back in the 90s because we couldn't afford anything but Ramen noodles, much less a lawyer. You simply put a copy of your song or lyrics or screenplay or whatever in the mail and send it to yourself; get an official stamp from a federal office on it that proves you came up with an idea before a certain date. Afterall, you spent a full 15 minutes coming up with that genius band name and don't want somebody to steal it!

I always figured the poor man's copyright wouldn't hold in a court of law. But I'm not a lawyer. Nor have I been to court for an intellectual property case. Does anybody out there know if this trick of 1990s artists could be the Achille's heel of COPA? Is a poor man's copyright the thing that has Coreland losing sleep at night?

Let me know in the comments 👇