Tech giant Apple has suffered a loss in its recent lawsuit against a security start-up that offered “virtual” iPhones to researchers for testing purposes. The judge wrote that Apple’s copyright claims were “puzzling, if not disingenuous.”
Engadget reports that last year tech giant Apple sued the security start-up company Corellium, accusing the company of violating copyright law by offering researchers access to “virtual” iPhones that could be used to find bugs in iOS products. A federal judge in Florida has now tossed Apple’s copyright complaint.
The decision is a major victory for Corellium. Apple also accused the start-up of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for allegedly bypassing iPhone security measures to create the iPhone emulator. This complaint has yet to be addressed by the court.
The emulator offered by Corellium allows security experts to run virtual iPhones on a browser on their computer giving them deeper access to iOS even without having a physical iPhone at hand. Apple also claims that the company was selling its product indiscriminately thereby compromising the security of the platform.
Judge Rodney Smith, however, ruled that Apple’s claims are “puzzling, if not disingenuous,” writing in his ruling: “Weighing all the necessary factors, the Court finds that Corellium has met its burden of establishing fair use. Thus, its use of iOS in connection with the Corellium Product is permissible.”
The judge also noted that Apple tried to acquire Corellium in 2018 and tested the company’s products before negotiations fell through. The ruling also discussed how Corellium vets and investigates its customers before selling them software.
Read more at Endgadget here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com
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