OSx86 Hit with DMCA Threat from Apple

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The OSx86 project Web site, which provides a community forum on running Mac OS X 10.4 on non-Mac hardware, has been served with a notice from Apple that it is violating the United Stateis DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). OSx86 has temporarily shut down its forums, but the rest of the site is still active.

The forums section on the site now displays this message:

Weire sorry to report that despite our best efforts, the OSx86 Project has been served with a DMCA violation notice. The forum will be unavailable while we evaluate its contents to remove any violations present. We thank you for your patience in this matter.

Apple contends that Mac OS X is not licensed to be used on non-Mac hardware, and trying to do so is a violation of the companyis terms of use. As a reminder to so called "hackers," Apple even left a poem embedded in its code. OSx86 found the verse and posted that on its site, too.

Your karma check for today:
There once was a user that whined
his existing OS was so blind,
heid do better to pirate
an OS that ran great
but found his hardware declined.
Please donit steal Mac OS!
Really, thatis way uncool.
(C) Apple Computer, Inc.

Although the OSx86 Project feels that it has not violated the DMCA, it has shut down its forums while it evaluates the posts for possible violations.

Representatives from the OSx86 Project were not available for comment.

Jeff Gamet

Jeff Gamet

Jeff is the Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and co-host of the Apple Context Machine podcast. He is the author of "The Designer's Guide to Mac OS X" from Peachpit Press, and writes for several design-related publications. Jeff has presented at events such as Macworld Expo, the RSA Conference, and the Mac Computer Expo. In all his spare time, he also co-hosts the We Have Communicators podcast, and makes guest appearances on several other podcasts, too. Jeff dreams in HD.

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