Palm’s brazen Pre hack back into iTunes

July 24, 2009 | Paul Boutin | Comments | |

palmhackPalm’s latest Pre software deliberately identifies the device as manufactured by Apple, in order to let the Pre connect to iTunes on PCs and Macs.

The back story: Palm and Apple have been battling over the new Pre smartphone’s access to Apple’s iTunes music management application. Palm shipped the Pre a few weeks ago with a trick ID field set on its USB port. The setting fooled iTunes into thinking it was talking to an Apple iPod.

But after Apple issued an update to iTunes that blocks devices with the Pre’s default settings, Palm went all out to re-hack the Pre back into iTunes. As shown in the image capture above by PreCentral.net, updated Pre phones now blatantly declare themselves to be manufactured by Apple.

Several gadget blogs including Gizmodo have speculated that Palm is violating USB standards requirements. It seems likely that Palm is violating a clause that forbids a USB device from giving the wrong manufacturer’s name. But here’s a question: What’s the worst thing that can happen to Palm for that? PreCentral notes that Palm could be required to remove any “USB Compliant” labeling from Pre packaging, but really, would you miss it?

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About the Author, Paul Boutin

Paul (paul@venturebeat.com) covers Apple & the iPhone, social networks & social media, digital music & video, and any crazy Internet story. Paul wrote and edited for Valleywag from 2006-2008, after several years with Wired magazine and Slate. He writes regularly for The New York Times' technology section and sometimes for Wired and The Wall Street Journal. He studied computer science at MIT in the early 1980s, and worked as a software developer and network administrator for 15 years before becoming a professional writer. Follow him on Twitter at @paulboutin, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • Hmmm. The manufacturer shows up as Palm, Inc. The vendor ID shows up as Apple, but what does the term 'vendor ID' really mean to a typical consumer?
  • Also, you forgot to mention that Palm is fudging into this grey area specifically because it thinks that Apple's use of the Vendor ID is this manner is inappropriate. We'll see how this all plays out.
  • paulgoodman
    Although the agreement is a bit of a stretch, a litigious company like Apple might use this as the basis of a trademark or other kind of deceptive business practice law suit, based on Palm "pawning off" their product as being from Apple. From a lawyer's point of view, it would be fascinating.
  • kengilleo
    It's worth a court test now that Palm has demonstrated "intent". Waiting for comments from the legal blogs.