software licensing
Is it legal to install MacOS (Hackintosh) on Windows (inside VirtualBox) in a commercial environment?
<p>I'm a developer and I'm working in a company where i will have to develop cross-platform desktop apps (with electron), mobile apps (with Cordova) and even extensions, including Safari. So it goes without saying that I need all three platforms.</p>

<p>I currently have really powerful laptop (so virtualization is not a problem) where I have Windows and Linux (as dual-boot &amp; vagrant VirtualBox).</p>

<p>I have MacOS and iPhones at work, but i would like to install MacOS in a VirtualBox, so i can work from home too (that I do a lot), since I don't have any apple products at home (and I can't take any from work).</p>

<p>The problem is not MacOS itself as I have already installed Hackintosh in the past. </p>

<p>My question is, is it, somehow, <em>legal</em> to install MacOs or Hackintosh on my laptop, so I can use it in commercial environment (work), as we get legal checks quite often. (Buying new licence is not a problem, or I can use one of the MacOs at my work - I don't know how this works with Apple)</p>

<p>The Apple macOS EULA is <a href="https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/macOS1013.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></p>
<p>Basically the license says you can only run macOS VMs on Apple hardware that is running macos.</p>
<p>The part on virtual machines includes 1 iii)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(iii) to install, use and run up to two (2) additional copies or instances of the Apple Software
within virtual operating system environments on each Mac Computer you own or control that is
already running the Apple Software, for purposes of: (a) software development; (b) testing during
software development; (c) using macOS Server; or (d) personal, non-commercial use.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Pretty sure they don't sell licences to install on non-mac pcs/laptops.</p>

<p>The fact that mac os has runtimes that try to prevent itself being installed on non mac devices is a strong indicator of this.</p>

<p>To be sure, check the terms of the license for the mac os</p>

<p>In addition to the other answers, MacOS reportedly checks for the presence of some chip containing a 64 bit code, which is then used to decode some software that is part of the operating system. This chip is easily simulated by virtualisation software, but that would be a DMCA violation - you can be sure that <em>no</em> virtualisation software that you can buy will allow this out of the box. </p>

<p>A few years ago, a company trying to sell PCs with MacOS installed was convicted to pay $30,000 for copyright infringement, and $2,500 per computer that they sold for DMCA violation. (Since they didn't manage to make any money from their scheme, neither Apple nor the company's lawyers ever received any payment). </p>
