James Delahunty
23 Sep 2009 0:02
A letter sent by the USB Implementers Forum to both Apple Inc and Palm has stated that Apple has the right to alter its iTunes software to block Palm's Pre device from syncing. When the Pre was launched, Palm said it would be iTunes-compatible; and it was. However, Apple had warned that the iTunes capabilities would only last weeks, and then kept its promise by blocking the Pre with an update.
Palm wasn't going to sit still over the issue however, and a wrote a letter of protest to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the non-profit organization that maintains the Universal Serial Bus (USB) specification and promotes the interface. Apple had blocked the Pre from syncing with iTunes by checking the idVendor descriptor when connected.
The Palm letter informed USB-IF of the WebOS update, which would change the Pre's Vendor ID to the same as Apple's in order to regain iTunes support. "Interoperability is central to any standard-setting organization," the letter read, "because, without widespread interoperability, many of the benefits of standardized (as opposed to proprietary) technologies are lost."
If USB-IF decided not to intervene in the dispute, it could have continued as a cat and mouse game for some time, with iTunes updating and killing syncing, and then new WebOS software restoring it. However, USB-IF not only states in the letter sent to both companies that Apple has the right to block out the Pre device from syncing with iTunes, but also that any further attempt by Palm to defeat the block would violate the group's rules.
The letter requested that Plam respond within a week and clarify its position. Palm spokesman Derick Mains said that the company is reviewing the letter and will respond if appropriate.