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Apple sues Psystar for producing Mac clone

Shock horror. Apple has finally sued Psystar for selling a Mac clone featuring its OS X operating system.

Apple has taken legal action against computer manufacturer Psystar after it marketed a range of Mac clone desktop machines.

Lawyer Jorge Espinosa stated on The Gray Blog that Apple filed a suit on July 3 2008 against the Florida-based Psystar for alleged violation of its shrink wrap license and for copyright and trademark infringement.

Psystar started manufacturing and selling a range of PCs that were pre-installed with Apple's OS X operating system, something Apple allows to be installed only on Apple hardware.

Said Espinosa: "Apple’s shrink wrap license which comes with OSX specifically requires that the software be installed only on Apple branded computers.

Psystar has previously expressed defiance at claims that it might be violating Apple’s rights. Statements that Apple’s license might violate US monopoly law have been attributed to Psystar employees."

No surprises
The move is unlikely to surprise anyone, but the length of time it's taken Apple to respond undoubtedly will.

ZDNet, who uncovered the legal action, said: "I think that this pretty much spells the end for Psystar. The company has been pushing its luck for some time now, and now the fun is over."

Psystar is offering a number of "Hackintosh" OSx86 machines called Open Computers, which are designed specifically to work with Apple's OS X operating system, which Psystar tweaks and pre-installs prior to their sale.

Mac OS X was developed to run on the x86 hardware within modern Apple computers, but not specifically on PCs.

However, hackers from the OSx86 project have been successful in illegally releasing modified versions of the OS that can be installed on some PCs.

Published: TechPad.co.uk Tuesday 15 July 2008, 5:05 pm
Views: 160 times
Filed under: Apple Psystar OS X

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