Discarded Hard Disck 1
今朝、気になる記事があったので、BBC Newsより基の記事を検索しました。
該当の記事とそれ以前の記事、合わせて3つを1つに纏めました。
一度、読んでみて下さい。
私が感じたことや英語的に気になる点などは明日以降に発信しようとおもいます。
Man Loses Legal Battle to Retrieve £600M Bitcoin Hard Drive from Landfill
James Howells, a 39-year-old man from Newport, Wales, has lost his decade-long legal battle to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins, now worth nearly £600 million. Howells accidentally discarded the hard drive in 2013 when his partner mistakenly threw it away, believing it to be junk.
Since realizing his loss, Howells has repeatedly requested access to Docksway Landfill in Newport, where he believes the hard drive remains buried. Initially worth around £4 million at the time of disposal, Bitcoin’s skyrocketing value has driven his determination to retrieve it. To incentivize the local government, Howells offered up to 25% of the recovered Bitcoin's value for community projects, later reducing the offer to 10%.
However, Newport City Council has consistently denied his requests, citing licensing restrictions and environmental concerns. The council argues that once an item is deposited in a landfill, it becomes municipal property. Furthermore, they claim excavation would cause significant environmental damage, making retrieval impossible.
In response to these refusals, Howells filed a £495 million lawsuit against the council, claiming they were unlawfully withholding his property and preventing him from searching for it. His legal team argued that he had the right to access his lost assets.
During court proceedings, the council’s lawyer, James Goudie KC, alleged that Howells was attempting to “bribe” the council by offering them a share of the Bitcoin’s value. Howells’ lawyer, Dean Armstrong KC, dismissed the claim as "an unfortunate and pointless phrase," arguing that his client simply wanted fair access to his lost property.
In December, the High Court ruled against Howells, stating that his claim lacked "reasonable grounds" and had "no realistic prospect" of success in a full trial. Judge Keyser KC upheld the council’s stance, reinforcing that the environmental regulations and property laws prevented excavation.
Following the verdict, Howells expressed deep disappointment, saying he was denied justice and the opportunity to present his full case. He criticized the legal system, calling it “the great British injustice system striking again.” He also lamented that after 12 years of trying every possible means to engage with the council, he was now being told he was out of time.
Despite this setback, Howells remains convinced that by 2025, his lost Bitcoin could be worth £1 billion. However, with the court’s decision standing, his chances of retrieving the hard drive remain virtually impossible.