Bitcoin mining company Upstream Data wins part of lawsuit over mining system design patent

Odaily News Oil and gas mining company Crusoe Energy’s patent application against mining infrastructure company Upstream Data has finally resulted in a partial victory for both parties, according to a ruling from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Tuesday.
The USPTO ruled that Crusoe Energy proved that the concept of using natural gas generators to power a bitcoin mining farm was not patentable, but failed to prove that specific design aspects of Upstream Data’s oil and gas bitcoin mining system were also not patentable.
The case is a first for the bitcoin mining industry, and the oil and gas mining industry in particular. The USPTO’s ruling opens the door to possible future litigation, particularly around Upstream’s claims regarding the design of various oil and gas containers used in bitcoin mining field operations.
Crusoe Energy recently completed a $600 million Series D round at a valuation of $2.8 billion. Meanwhile, Upstream Data is a relatively small private company focused on oil and gas bitcoin mining farms in Alberta, Canada. The impact of Upstreams partial victory is unclear, but it could be used to force the payment of royalties or other protections against competitors. (Blockspace)