Connection lost
Server error
APPLE INC. v. PSYSTAR CORP. Case Brief
Why Top Law Students (And Those Aspiring to Be) Use LSD+ Briefs
Let's be real, law school is a marathon. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full case system is designed by Harvard Law School and MIT grads to match your pace: Quick summaries when you're slammed, detailed analysis when you need to go deep. Only LSD+ offers this kind of flexibility to genuinely fit your study flow.
Adaptive Case Views
Toggle between Flash, Standard, and Expanded. Get what you need, when you need it.
Exam-Ready IRAC Format
We deliver the precise structure professors look for in exam answers.
Complex Cases, Clarified
We break down dense legal reasoning into something digestible, helping you grasp core concepts.
Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A computer manufacturer installed Apple’s Mac OS X on its own hardware in violation of Apple’s license agreement. The court rejected the manufacturer’s “copyright misuse” defense, holding that restricting software to proprietary hardware is a valid exercise of copyright, not an unlawful anticompetitive practice.
Legal Significance: This case clarifies the copyright misuse defense, holding that a software license restricting use to the copyright holder’s own hardware is not misuse, so long as it does not prevent competitors from developing their own competing hardware or software. It reinforces the licensor/licensee distinction to avoid the first sale doctrine.
APPLE INC. v. PSYSTAR CORP. Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Apple Inc. develops and sells the Mac OS X operating system, which it protects with copyrights and technological protection measures (TPMs). Its Software License Agreement (SLA), which users must accept, specifies that the software is licensed, not sold, and may only be installed and used on Apple-branded computers. Psystar Corp. began manufacturing and selling non-Apple computers with Mac OS X pre-installed. To accomplish this, Psystar purchased retail copies of Mac OS X, circumvented Apple’s TPMs, made a modified ‘master image’ of the software, and installed that image onto its own computers. Psystar then shipped these computers to customers along with an unopened retail box of Mac OS X. Apple sued Psystar for copyright infringement and violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In response, Psystar asserted the affirmative defense of copyright misuse, arguing that Apple’s SLA provision restricting Mac OS X to Apple hardware was an unlawful attempt to leverage its software copyright to monopolize the hardware market. The district court granted summary judgment for Apple, finding infringement and rejecting the misuse defense. Psystar appealed the misuse ruling.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Did Apple engage in copyright misuse by including a provision in its Software License Agreement that prohibits users from installing its Mac OS X operating system on non-Apple computer hardware?
No. The court held that Apple’s license agreement did not constitute copyright Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Did Apple engage in copyright misuse by including a provision in its Software License Agreement that prohibits users from installing its Mac OS X operating system on non-Apple computer hardware?
Conclusion
This decision solidifies the principle that software licensors can impose significant use Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud ex
Legal Rule
The copyright misuse defense prevents a copyright holder from leveraging its limited Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla paria
Legal Analysis
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's rejection of Psystar's copyright misuse Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Apple’s license requiring Mac OS X to run only on Apple