Corellium is a security research firm that helps customers detect bugs and other security problems on Apple products, notably the iPhone. And a new ruling that favors Corellium may alter copyright law at a wide scale. 

• Apple sued Corellium over fair use: Corellium’s top product basically created a virtual copy of iOS that people can use on personal computers to test iOS security. (Needless to say, it is for a niche crowd.) But Apple considered Corellium’s product to be using Apple’s copyrighted materials for commercial purposes. 

• A federal judge in Florida threw out the Apple fair use claims in a summary judgment: The judge believed Corellium was not a competing product and that it was designed to provide a benefit for iPhone users (better security).      

This was a shift from past rulings    

Apple has won many patent and copyright cases in the past, helping it dominate the competition. 

The Verdict

Particularly for cybersecurity research, this decision could go a long way. Alexander Urbelis, of the Blackstone Law Group, told the Washington Post it may create more opportunities for cybersecurity companies, which had previously feared legal liability. And more cybersecurity research could mean fewer Solar Winds-style hacks.