With Psystar barred permanently by a judge from selling anymore Open Computers, the Mac clone maker became just one in a string of companies that have tried selling Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware.
During Apple's three decades in business, it has at some points licensed its operating system for use on third-party computers. But since CEO Steve Jobs' return in 1997, the policy has been clear: Apple will be the only company allowed to sell Mac OS preinstalled.
Though Psystar tried and failed, there are still two companies out there--safely outside the U.S. and the reach of American copyright law--continuing to defy Apple's legally upheld EULA.
Here's a look back.
Psystar's Mac clones are unavailable after Tuesday's settlement with Apple.
(Credit: Screenshot by Erica Ogg/CNET)As part of Psystar's partial settlement with Apple, all models of the company's Open Computer featuring preinstalled Mac OS have been removed from its Web site.
A quick visit to Psystar.com Wednesday morning reveals all five products the Mac clone maker had been selling since 2008 are suddenly "out of stock." It follows Tuesday's partial settlement, in which the Florida-based Psystar agreed to pay $2.65 million to Apple for copyright infringement, in exchange for Apple dropping the other claims of trademark infringement and unfair competition.
Though Psystar has agreed to a settlement payment amount already, and is done selling Mac OS preinstalled on hardware, it doesn't mean the company is done fighting. Part of the agreement included that Apple will not get paid until "any and all appeals in this matter are concluded or the time for filing any such appeal has lapsed," according to the court documents.
Psystar still intends to appeal to a higher court the November 13 ruling of U.S. District Judge William Alsup, in which he said Psystar violated Apple's copyright and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It's a process that could stretch on for years.
Until then, if Psystar wants to stay in business, it's going to have to figure out another way of selling hardware and Mac software.
A group of "electro-sensitive" Santa Fe residents has asked the city government to ban Wi-Fi from public buildings. The group's members attribute a range of symptoms, such as chest pains and headaches, to the electric fields produced by Wi-Fi routers and cell phones.
The citizens claim that Wi-Fi networks in libraries and other civic buildings constitute discrimination as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city attorney is looking into the matter and expects to make a legal recommendation by the end of the month.
This isn't the first report of a so-called "gadget allergy." We mused on the subject about a year ago, when the Daily Mail ran a story about a woman who experienced a severe allergic reaction to a broad range of electromagnetic fields. And even earlier, scientists at the University of Essex found sufficient numbers of people claiming to suffer from "electromagnetic hypersensitivity" (EHS) to launch a scientific study of the matter.
It's worth noting that the World Health Organization currently doesn't give much credit to EHS claims: "Well controlled and conducted double-blind studies have shown that symptoms were not correlated with EMF exposure." Judging from the comments on the original news story, the average citizen doesn't, either.
Looks like Dish may have spoken a bit too soon.
A little over a week ago, an appeals court determined that Dish Network (formerly EchoStar Communications) had indeed violated a software patent held by TiVo on digital video recorders.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
While TiVo gleefully celebrated, Dish expressed disappointment, but assured its customers that none of its products would be affected because the software that was in violation had already been remotely updated by the company some months before.
Now it appears there's just a bit more to the story. Engadget has a blog pointing to notices Dish sent on Monday. The Colorado-based satellite TV company informed customers that though most of its DVRs are in the clear, there are four models--the 721, 921, 942, and Homezone 1022--that can no longer be sold because their software has not been updated. This only affects hardware bearing those model numbers that have not been sold or activated. If you already have one of those models installed, Dish says it is not subject to the injunction.
It's really important to note that these are fairly old models, so this likely won't affect many Dish resellers. The 942 model, for example, was reviewed by CNET in 2005.
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