Clone Mac maker Psystar loses to Apple in attempted court appeal

Psystar, a company that previously gained notoriety for building custom computers with hacked copies of Apple's Mac OS X operating system installed, lost an appeal in court this week, perhaps signaling an end to the lengthy saga.

Circuit Judge Mary Schroeder ruled in favor of Apple in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week, according to CNet. The judge maintained that Psystar violated Apple's copyrights related to Mac OS X in building custom knock-off computers.

The ruling may be the final ruling for Psystar, which has dragged on the proceedings with Apple for years. The ruling comes more than a year and a half after Psystar appealed the initial decision in January of 2010.

Apple initially sued Psystar for copyright infringement in July of 2008. The Florida-based company attempted to go on the offensive with a countersuit, accusing Apple of using anti-competitive tactics to defeat possible rivals, but the measure failed.

In December 2009, Psystar agreed to pay Apple a $2.7 million partial settlement. An injunction soon followed, effectively ending Psystar's business, but the company attempted to stay alive with its appeal that was struck down this week.

Even after Psystar was shut down, the company's website and store remained operational for some time, selling a t-shirt with the slogan "I sued Psystar... and all I got was a lousy injunction" written on it. There, visitors could provide the bankrupt company with donations in the amount of $20, $50 or $100.

Psystar also sold an application called Rebel EFI, which allowed Intel-powered PCs to run Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Sales of that product were halted by the court, which found that it violated Apple's copyright.