Apple Inc. accused upstart Corellium LLC of illegally selling virtual copies of the iPhone and iPad operating systems under the guise of helping discover security flaws.
In a copyright-infringement lawsuit filed on Thursday in West Palm Beach, Florida, Apple reported that the software company Corellium has copied the OS, graphical user interface and other aspects of the devices without permission, and wants a federal judge to curb the violations.
Apple said it supports “good-faith security research,” offering a $1 million bug bounty for anyone who discovers vulnerabilities in its system and gives custom versions of the iPhone to authenticated and authorized researchers. The iPhone maker said remarked that Corellium goes further than that.
“Although Corellium paints itself as providing a research tool for those trying to discover security vulnerabilities and other flaws in Apple’s software, Corellium’s true goal is profiting off its blatant infringement,” Apple said in the complaint. “Far from assisting in fixing vulnerabilities, Corellium encourages its users to sell any discovered information on the open market to the highest bidder.”
Corellium creates copies of the Apple iOS and says that it’s all to help white-hat hackers discover security flaws. Instead, according to the tech giant, any information is sold to people who can then exploit those faults.
Corellium, in a posting dated July 4 on its website, said it “respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its users to do the same.” Officials with the Delray Beach, Florida-based corporate couldn’t instantly be reached for comment on the following suit.
Corellium’s products allow the creation of a virtual Apple device, according to the suit. It copies new versions of Apple works once they are announced, and doesn’t require people to expose vulnerabilities to Apple, the Cupertino, California-based corporate said in the complaint.
“For a million dollars a year, Corellium will even deliver a ‘private’ installation of its product to any buyer,” Apple said. “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.”
Apple said “enough is enough” when it comes to Corellium advertising its products, including ones that compete with the Apple Developer Program, according to the complaint.
