Psystar grills Apple execs

A group of Apple executives has begun to answer deposition in the company's ongoing legal dispute with Psystar, the latter party has revealed. People who have already addressed questions relating to Psystar's defense include John Wright, a senior software manager for Mac OS X, and Kevin van Vechten, a software engineering manager. Thursday saw questions directed towards Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP for worldwide product marketing, and one of the company's most prominent public faces.

Individuals yet to face scrutiny from Psystar lawyers include -- among others -- Mike Culbert, the senior director for Mac hardware; Simon Patience, the head of the core OS division; and Mark Donnelly, the VP of finance and worldwide business management. In an unusual step Psystar is taking public submissions for questions, though only 10 selected ones will be asked during each interview. People are also prompted to keep questions strictly relevant to litigation.

Apple has accused Psystar of violating the end-user license agreement (EULA) for Mac OS X Leopard, which prohibits installing the OS on computers without official branding. Conversely, Apple has been charged with abusing copyright, and thereby preventing fair competition similar to that in the PC world. Psystar has found itself in an increasingly precarious situation however, having had to abandon bankruptcy protection in order to continue its defense.

by MacNN Staff