Conversely, other cryptographers like held legitimate patents for technologies foundational to Bitcoin—such as the Merkle Tree —well before the 2008 whitepaper, though these are viewed as historical precursors rather than claims to Bitcoin's ownership. Crypto Open Patent Alliance v Wright | Freshfields
However, these claims have been systematically rejected by legal and technical authorities: Renowned Cryptographer Says His Patent Was an O...
The court concluded that Wright had "lied to the court extensively" and submitted forged documents to support his claims. Renowned Cryptographer Says His Patent Was an O...