Appeals Court Sides with Apple in Dispute over Psystar's Unauthorized Mac Clones

It has taken nearly two years, but CNET reports that an appeals court has ruled in favor of Apple in its lawsuit against Psystar, a company that began selling unauthorized Mac clones back in 2008.

Circuit Judge Mary Schroeder ruled yesterday that Psystar's Mac clones violated copyrights Apple holds, and its ban on sales will be upheld. According to Judge Schroeder, Psystar specifically violated copyrights Apple holds in Mac OS X, and said that the U.S. District Court's ruling in favor of Apple was just.

Apple was awarded a permanent injunction against Psystar in December 2009, but Psystar appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit a month later.

i sued psystar shirt
Psystar's 2009 last-ditch effort to raise funds for its legal fight against Apple

Psystar was unusually defiant in its stance against Apple given the threat it faced from the substantially larger company, and extended its legal efforts well beyond what most small companies would typically be willing to engage in. Those efforts lead Apple to suggest that Psystar could have been part of a conspiracy with the backing of a larger entity attempting to break open Apple's stranglehold on Mac OS X systems, but no concrete evidence of such a connection has ever been exposed.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...

Top Rated Comments

KnightWRX Avatar
188 months ago
Psystar lost, but they did help point the way for hackintoshes:

Actually, wasn't Psystar just ripping off the hackintosh community's work for their own purposes ? I think you got the roles reversed here. It's the hackintoshes that paved the way for Psystar.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
188 months ago
Always wondered where that money came from and how they could afford being so defiant. Who knows, perhaps some internet bubble money went into this.

I always wondered this too. There's noway they got there by selling those t-shirts.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
188 months ago
Oh please lol, if I wanted to read nonsense like that I could go to one of those schizophrenic websites like Above Top Secret

Only somebody in on it would say something like that...










:D
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
188 months ago
Worst. T-shirt. EVER.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
188 months ago
The only surprise here is that it took this long to get upheld. Seriously, Psystar should have given up after the first cease and desist letter, their business plan never made any sense.

And yet I spent a lot of time reading arguments from folks telling me I was wrong when I explained why Psytar would lose.

Psystar lost, but they did help point the way for mackintoshes:

Nice revisionist history.

Actually, wasn't Psystar just ripping off the hackintosh community's work for their own purposes ? I think you got the roles reversed here. It's the hackintoshes that paved the way for Psystar.

Exactly.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AAPLaday Avatar
188 months ago
Good news. I dont have a problem with people making hackintoshes themselves but a company shouldn't be selling clones for profit
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)