Author: Brian Lockhart 2018-02-13 15:37:09
Published on: 2018-02-13T15:37:09+00:00
The ongoing branding attack on Bitcoin by fork coins has led to discussions about possible solutions. Some have proposed altering the license terms to disincentivize fork coins from using the word Bitcoin, but this solution may not be effective without an entity that intends to use court systems to threaten noncompliant projects into submission. Jameson Lopp suggests that the perceived attack on Bitcoin is social/marketing-based and therefore any defense against it should also be social/marketing-based. He believes that Bitcoin should not rely on courts or governments to defend itself against attacks of any form. Others have suggested using trademarks to prohibit any reimplementation that's not formally verified to be perfectly compatible from using the name. However, there are concerns about legal uncertainty, technical incompatibility with older versions, and overkill in being unable to even mention Bitcoin. The ongoing FUD and scammery going unanswered in any "official" capacity is frustrating for many.
Updated on: 2023-06-13T00:41:14.433540+00:00