Here's an interesting article about Palm's strategy and rise to become a player in the mobile phone space. The article suggests that Palm has stolen its strategy from RIM's model.
With the advent of Treo's, Palm has entered a new playing field for sure. They can't play like they used to, relying on sales directly to end users. To be recognized as a heavy-weight, they've got to move units like the other, bigger players like RIM and Nokia. That means switching to a model that involves the carriers, i.e. Verizon, Sprint, etc.
Palm isn't stealing from RIM. Stealing just has a negative connotation, and it makes it seem as though Palm wouldn't be getting an "A" if it wasn't sitting next to RIM in class. When you are in a new league you gotta play by the new rules. Adapt or lose. Adaptation is stealing.
But that's just me reading into this article a bit much. Overall its a positive article and an interesting read.