Joining
COPA

Anyone can join COPA, regardless whether you have patents, for free. Review the COPA Membership Agreement, and contact membership at opencrypto dot org to sign.

The COPA Membership Agreement is entered into by COPA members to address the threat of patents being used to stifle innovation and growth in cryptocurrency. Joining COPA means you are protected from patent suits initiated by other COPA members, and you are part of a defensive community that works together to conquer common challenges.

Patent Pledge

Members agree to never assert their foundational crypto patents offensively against anyone, except under the following limited set of situations: (1) in self defense (if the member gets sued by a patent aggressor and the member wants to use its patents defensively against such an aggressor); (2) in defense of the community (if anyone else in the crypto community is attacked by a patent aggressor and the member wants to use its patents against such an aggressor); or (3) in defense against an impersonator who causes harm to the member’s customers (e.g., a copycat scammer of the member’s products). Members accomplish this by granting a non-exclusive and perpetual license to their foundational crypto patents, subject to the exceptions above.

Please send an email to membership at opencrypto dot org, indicating your company or affiliation, and your role.