Psystar releases Mac clone software
(Cnet)

This is an interesting development.

I really wonder how Apple is going to claim Psystar is violating their copyrights when with this software Psystar is not doing anything. Other than allowing the Mac OS to run.

Certainly software can be used to make illegal copies of other software. But, in this scenario customers are doing nothing different than installing the Mac OS on Apple hardware.

What is dead obvious here is that Apple is trying to create for itself a monopoly market for its hardware. And that is outside the intend of the copyright laws.

Obviously Apple can refuse to support its OS on unapproved hardware. But, why? And, of course, there is a good reason to do so. But, it is also very clear that if you develop a quality OS, it would benefit the company to qualify a number of alternative hardware systems.

Frankly I prefer Linux for any number of reasons. And I have never even tried Snow Leopard or any of the other Leopards. No do I want to. But, consumers deserve to have the choice of buying their hardware from what ever company they choose (or do like myself and buy the MB, Chip, memory and discs as I need them). And the last thing I want from any vendor is some jerkhead trying to limit the choices otherwise available to me. That applies to hardware and software.

So no, Apple does not have the right to restrict sales of its software to hardware bundles. Neither does it have the right to restrict the use of its software to specific hardware. IBM does not have that right. And, Apple does not either.