The Cupertino tech juggernaut is at present involved in a lawsuit against a mobile device virtualization company, which supports iOS, Corellium. Apple was accused of copyright infringement since Corellium develops software designed for security researchers that replicates Apple's iOS. The lawsuit was filed in August, but it is heating up after the Cupertino company amended the lawsuit this month with a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) filing.
The lawsuit amendment suggests that Apple believes jailbreaking is a violation of the DMCA. However, Corellium claims that the Cupertino company facilitates jailbreaking via its software. Apple's new filing was answered by Corellium CEO Amanda Gorton, who recently penned a letter lambasting the company for its position in jailbreaking. "Apple's latest filing against Corellium should give all security researchers, app developers, and jailbreakers reason to be concerned," reads the opening statement of the letter penned by the CEO.
The filing suggests that since Corellium allows users to jailbreak and provide one or more users access to develop software that can be used to jailbreak, Corellium is involved in trafficking, which is in violation of the DMCA. Simply put, Apple is saying that anyone who offers a tool that enables other people to jailbreak, and anyone who assists in creating such a toll is violating the DMCA, reports Macrumors. Apple reasserts this position by tagging uncOver jailbreak tool as unlawful and claiming that it is "designed to circumvent [the] same technological measures" as Corellium.
Corellium CEO Gorton, on the other hand, accuses Apple of utilizing Corellium lawsuit to crack down on jailbreaking. Apple is seeking precedent to eliminate public jailbreaks, the CEO says. Corellium is "deeply disappointed" by Apple's "demonization of jailbreaking" as developers and researchers "rely on jailbreaks" to test the security of their own apps and third-party apps, she adds. The CEO further adds that Apple benefited from jailbreaking by transforming jailbreak tweaks into features of its flagship smartphone.
Additionally, jailbreak creators continuously contribute to iOS security. Earlier, Apple acknowledged and credited the team behind unc0ver jailbreak for helping with a security vulnerability in the iOS kernel. Interestingly, this vulnerability was discovered using Corellium. According to Corellium CEO, the company is prepared to defend against attacks from the Cupertino company. It looks forward to filing a formal response to the claims of Apple in court.
Apple is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent Corellium from providing a product that mimics the Apple iO. The Cupertino company wants Corellium to destroy all infringing materials that it has accumulated and pay the company damages, attorney fees, and lost profits.
