Users of Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard got all worked about the latest release of VMware’s Fusion desktop virtualization app, at least for a short time. Version 4.1 provided what seemed to be a loophole to Apple’s strict EULA by passing on the responsibility of running unauthorized software (client versions of the OS versions above for the most part) to the user. We covered yesterday’s release here, alongside another VMware updates.

Instead of completely crossing out the option to run them by displaying an error messages, Fusion 4.1 promotes the user with a confirmation screen that reads “verify that the operating system is licensed to run in a virtual machine.” This is not what VMware’s developers intended however, based on a blog post the company released not long after the release.

Here’s a part of the announcement:

“VMware Fusion 4.1 was released late last week and includes many great improvements.  One change was the introduction of a new license verification step for users to verify they are in compliance with the OS licensing terms.

When the license verification step was added in VMware Fusion 4.1 the server edition check was omitted. We are preparing an update.”

VMware is evidently planning to patch this loophole so Fusion will again be limited to running only the server versions of Leopard, Snow Leopard and Lion; much to the discontent of a fair percentage of its users judging by the comments submitted to the post.

Apple has always been very strict about keeping its ecosystem as closed as possible; mainly to keep competitors at bay, though the user virtualization industry is quickly expanding around it.  Companies such as Pano Logic are pushing forward with newer offerings, mostly recently with the launch of the upgraded Pano System 5.