Apple sues clone maker Psystar

File under: Inevitable.

Apple has (finally) filed a lawsuit against Psystar, the maker of ultra-cheap Mac-compatible clones which made a big blog splash when it launched this spring. Many initially accused the operation of being a scam or a hoax (a Mac for $399!?), but Psystar's OpenMac line turned out to be legitimate, and while, once reviewers got their hands on the products, they were considered buggy at best, Psystar's machines really did what they promised to do.

ZDNet has ongoing coverage of the lawsuit, which accuses Psystar of using Apple's trademark, diluting its brand, and illegally violating its EULA by modifying Leopard so it would work on Psystar's hardware.

In other words: Exactly what everyone was expecting.

The company has offered no response on the lawsuit and continues to sell its Apple clone machines via its website. The case itself isn't due for even preliminary filings until October, so unless Apple obtains an emergency injunction against Psystar to cause it to shut its doors, things are likely to continue as is for the foreseeable future.

And maybe that was Psystar's idea all along: Grab a lot of attention at launch, attract a lawsuit to get even more attention, and make a quick buck selling cheap machines that stand out in a market of boring, white-box Windows clones and pricey, genuine Macs. If Psystar can sell a few hundred thousand machines, each earning $50 to $100 in profit, before closing up shop and disappearing from the scene after the legal heat gets too intense, well, you do the math.