Apple accuses Corellium of violating DMCA with its mobile device virtualisation software

First version of the lawsuit was filed in August

In its amended lawsuit against software vendor Corellium, Apple has accused the iOS virtualisation firm of facilitating jailbreaking and violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Apple filed the first version of its lawsuit against Corellium in August in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, claiming that Corellium's virtualisation of iOS violated Apple's copyrights.

Apple said that Corellium infringed its copyrights by creating digital replicas of Apple's iOS operating system, iTunes and other software, and that Corellium had copied all the code, the GUI, the icons and other features of its iOS in exact detail.

Apple's latest filing against Corellium should give all security researchers, app developers, and jailbreakers reason to be concerned

The iPhone maker expanded its lawsuit last month, accusing Corellium of both copyright infringement, as well as illegal "trafficking of a product used to circumvent security measures in violation of DMCA's 17 U.S.C. § 1201".

It continued: "Corellium's business is based entirely on commercialising the illegal replication of the copyrighted operating system and applications that run on Apple's iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices...

"Corellium simply copies everything: the code, the graphical user interface, the icons - all of it, in exacting detail... providing its users with the tools to do the same," it added.

Jailbreaking is process that allows developers to modify Apple's operating systems to provide greater control to users. With jailbreaking, users can also install apps that are not approved by Apple as well as customise the interface in a variety of ways.

Corellium claimed that its iOS virtualisation software enables security researchers to uncover flaws within the platform.

Apple, however, accuses the firm of giving users the ability to jailbreak iOS for either useful or malicious purposes, encouraging them to sell the flaws discovered in iOS on the open market for the highest price.

Apple is asserting that anyone who provides a tool that allows other people to jailbreak, and anyone who assists in creating such a tool, is violating the DMCA

Corellium CEO Amanda Gorton responded to Apple's latest allegations in an online post, stating that jailbreakers and developers should be "concerned" by Apple's move.

"Apple's latest filing against Corellium should give all security researchers, app developers, and jailbreakers reason to be concerned," Gorton said.

"The filing asserts that because Corellium 'allows users to jailbreak' and 'gave one or more Persons access… to develop software that can be used to jailbreak,' Corellium is 'engaging in trafficking' in violation of the DMCA."

"In other words, Apple is asserting that anyone who provides a tool that allows other people to jailbreak, and anyone who assists in creating such a tool, is violating the DMCA."

Gorton explained how the jailbreaking process helps in testing the security of apps and uncovering vulnerabilities and security issues.

According to Gorton, Apple's platform is highly restrictive and discovering bugs in iOS would be difficult without jailbreaking.

She gave the example of the controversial, Apple-approved ToTok app that was allegedly being used by security agencies in the United Arab Emirates agencies as a spying tool, and whose analysis would not have been possible without a jailbreak.

Last month, Corellium claimed that Apple only filed its lawsuit against the company after failing to agree a price to acquire the firm.