We've Seen Fake iPhones, Panerai Watches And ... Mac Computers? Yes, And They're Legal (For Now)
Last month we told you about the strange saga of a small company called Pystar that makes Apple Mac computer clones that were being sold locally at Rashantha De Silva's Quo Computer in South Pasadena. The only problem with these boxes was that Apple wasn't impressed, and the company successfully sued for copyright violations that would have seemed to put an end to Pystar.
Rashantha De Silva sells clones.
Except they didn't. On Tuesday the company announced it has reached a settlement with Apple, one that observers say might allow the company to continue making its clones but without Apple's operating system installed. Users would then be allowed, or compelled, to install Apple's code on their own.
According to a company statement: "Psystar has agreed on certain amounts to be awarded as statutory damages on Apple's copyright claims in exchange for Apple's agreement not to execute on these awards until all appeals in this matter have concluded. Moreover, Apple has agreed to voluntarily dismiss all its trademark, trade-dress and state-law claims. This partial settlement eliminates the need for a trial and reduces the issues before this court to the scope of any permanent injunction on Apple's copyright claims."
Salon spins the settlement like this: "It looks like it wouldn't necessarily stop Psystar from selling its Mac clones. Instead, the company would be limited to selling its "Open" line of computers without OS X preinstalled, and that responsibility would lie instead with customers. Apparently that's a compromise Apple is willing to live with, and with good reason, since the Mac maker would have to go after many other clone makers if it wasn't."
So there. Viva la fake stuff.
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