A lawsuit led by Apple against Corellium for copying iOS systems has finally reached a settlement after years of back-and-forth fighting. Corellium clones iOS systems to conduct security research outside Apple's usual restrictions on the operating system. Apple filed a lawsuit in 2019, arguing that the company had infringed copyright. It has gone through many stages since then and finally came to an end on Thursday.
The case is back in Florida District Court to decide whether Corellium infringes on Apple's branding or wallpaper copyrights. According to Forbes, Apple and Corellium have reached a settlement agreement with unclear terms.
Apple claims that Corellium's software is an exact replica of iOS and is being used as a replacement for its security research products. Corellium believes that it copied Apple's computer code and application icons solely for security research and was significantly "transformative" under fair use standards.
The lawsuit initially appeared to end in 2021, when Apple agreed to drop the claims. Apple subsequently appealed a 2020 ruling in which a judge found Corellium's copying to be fair use.
The long and winding road to litigation ended with an unknown settlement. But Apple has demonstrated that it is willing to reopen litigation if it believes there is a chance to change the outcome.