Device virtualization is designed to help developers and enthusiasts, but it’s something that Apple is not entirely fond of.
That came to a head earlier this year when Apple filed a lawsuit against device virtualization company Corellium. The suit alleges Corellium infringed on copyright held by Apple. Going further, Apple said Corellium, “is based entirely on commercializing the illegal replication of the copyrighted operating system and applications that run on Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices”.
So now Corellium’s CEO, Amanda Gorton, has published a statement on the matter. Here’s the opening volley:
Apple’s latest filing against Corellium should give all security researchers, app developers, and jailbreakers reason to be concerned. The filing asserts that because Corellium “allows users to jailbreak” and “gave one or more Persons access… to develop software that can be used to jailbreak,” Corellium is “engaging in trafficking” in violation of the DMCA. In other words, Apple is asserting that anyone who provides a tool that allows other people to jailbreak, and anyone who assists in creating such a tool, is violating the DMCA. Apple underscores this position by calling the unc0ver jailbreak tool “unlawful” and stating that it is “designed to circumvent [the] same technological measures” as Corellium.
Apple is using this case as a trial balloon in a new angle to crack down on jailbreaking. Apple has made it clear that it does not intend to limit this attack to Corellium: it is seeking to set a precedent to eliminate public jailbreaks.
Gorton goes on to call out Apple, saying it has “directly benefited from the jailbreak community in a number of ways”, noting that many different iOS features originated “as jailbreak tweaks and were copied by Apple”. Those features? Dark mode, Control Center, and even context menus.
And here’s the stinger:
We are prepared to strongly defend against this attack, and we look forward to sharing our formal response to this claim when we file it in court. Until then, we appreciate the outpouring of support from the mobile community that is as concerned as we are by the far-reaching implications of this new filing.
For what it’s worth, here’s Apple’s claim against Corellium, in part:
Corellium explicitly markets its product as one that allows the creation of “virtual” Apple devices. For a million dollars a year, Corellium will even deliver a “private” installation of its product to any buyer. There is no basis for Corellium to be selling a product that allows the creation of avowedly perfect replicas of Apple’s devices to anyone willing to pay.
This is not the first time that Corellium has responded to Apple’s lawsuit. Back in October, Corellium said it keeps iPhones “safer”, thanks to its iOS virtualization software,
Sounds like Corellium’s CEO is ready to go to battle with Apple for as long as it takes over this. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.