Apple files Palm Pre lawsuit?

The recently unveiled Palm Pre won early praise for a number of innovations. However, the Pre's similarities to the Apple iPhone have not gone unnoticed, and Palm has raised questions that the company may have infringed on Apple's patents.

Apple COO Tim Cook took a swipe at Palm indirectly during the latest earnings call: "We like competition as long as they don't rip off our IP," meaning its intellectual property with multi-touch technology. "And if they do, we're going to go after anybody that does."

Palm's response: Bring it. Said Palm spokesperson Lynn Fox to Digital Daily: "Palm has a long history of innovation that is reflected in our products and robust patent portfolio (31 pages of patents in Google Patent Search)... If faced with legal action, we are confident that we have the tools necessary to defend ourselves."

Palm announced that the Pre will launch in the first half of 2009. If Apple decides to file a lawsuit it would probably do so not too long after the Pre's launch. Engadget conducted an Apple vs. Palm legal analysis here.

Prediction: Apple will take some form of legal action (i.e., injunction, lawsuit) against Palm over the Pre by September 30, 2009.