Following upon Apple's recent earnings report where Apple COO Tim Cook seemed to shoot the proverbial warning shot across Palm's bow regarding the Palm Pre's possible infringement upon the iPhone's multitude of patents, Palm company spokesperson Lynn Fox told Digital Daily:

“Palm has a long history of innovation that is reflected in our products and robust patent portfolio, and we have long been recognized for our fundamental patents in the mobile space.... If faced with legal action, we are confident that we have the tools necessary to defend ourselves.”

Palm currently has a large group of former Apple employees working for them, most notably Jon Rubinstein, who would appear to be one of the driving forces behind the Palm Pre, and who happens to be the former head of hardware engineering for Apple. It's a little early to say whether Cook's statements and Fox's statements point towards an eventual legal battle between the two companies, but if you've been thinking about getting your hands on a Palm Pre when they are finally released, you're going to want to keep your eyes on this situation. Currently, neither side appears to be blinking in the face of the other side's comments, so it could very well result in a legal battle that could delay the arrival of the Palm Pre.

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