diff -r 9304172ee5eb Lib/plistlib.py
--- a/Lib/plistlib.py	Thu Mar 29 09:18:14 2012 +0200
+++ b/Lib/plistlib.py	Sat Mar 31 10:52:11 2012 +0300
@@ -52,14 +52,18 @@
 
 __all__ = [
     "readPlist", "writePlist", "readPlistFromBytes", "writePlistToBytes",
-    "Plist", "Data", "Dict"
+    "Plist", "Data", "Dict",
+    "InvalidFileException",
 ]
 # Note: the Plist and Dict classes have been deprecated.
 
 import binascii
 import datetime
+import json
 from io import BytesIO
+import os
 import re
+import struct
 
 
 def readPlist(pathOrFile):
@@ -72,8 +76,15 @@
         if isinstance(pathOrFile, str):
             pathOrFile = open(pathOrFile, 'rb')
             didOpen = True
-        p = PlistParser()
-        rootObject = p.parse(pathOrFile)
+        header = pathOrFile.read(8)
+        pathOrFile.seek(0)
+        if header == b'<?xml ve' or header[2:] == b'<?xml ': #XML plist file, without or with BOM 
+            p = PlistParser()
+            rootObject = p.parse(pathOrFile)
+        elif header == b'bplist00': #binary plist file
+            rootObject =  readBinaryPlistFile(pathOrFile)
+        else: #json plist file
+            rootObject = json.load(pathOrFile)
     finally:
         if didOpen:
             pathOrFile.close()
@@ -147,6 +158,95 @@
         self.file.write(b'\n')
 
 
+# timestamp 0 of binary plists corresponds to 1/1/2001 (year of Mac OS X 10.0), instead of 1/1/1970.
+MAC_OS_X_TIME_OFFSET = (31 * 365 + 8) * 86400
+
+class InvalidFileException(ValueError):
+    def __str__(self):
+        return "Invalid file"
+    def __unicode__(self):
+        return "Invalid file"
+
+def readBinaryPlistFile(in_file):
+    """
+    Read a binary plist file, following the description of the binary format: http://opensource.apple.com/source/CF/CF-550/CFBinaryPList.c
+    Raise InvalidFileException in case of error, otherwise return the root object, as usual
+    """
+    in_file.seek(-32, os.SEEK_END)
+    trailer = in_file.read(32)
+    if len(trailer) != 32:
+        return InvalidFileException()
+    offset_size, ref_size, num_objects, top_object, offset_table_offset = struct.unpack('>6xBB4xL4xL4xL', trailer)
+    in_file.seek(offset_table_offset)
+    object_offsets = []
+    offset_format = '>' + {1: 'B', 2: 'H', 4: 'L', 8: 'Q', }[offset_size] * num_objects
+    ref_format = {1: 'B', 2: 'H', 4: 'L', 8: 'Q', }[ref_size]
+    object_offsets = struct.unpack(offset_format, in_file.read(offset_size * num_objects))
+    atoms = {0: None, 8: False, 9: True, 15: ''}
+    objects = {}
+
+    def getSize(token_l):
+        """ return the size of the next object."""
+        if token_l == 0xF:
+            m = in_file.read(1)[0] & 0x3
+            return int.from_bytes(in_file.read(1 << m), 'big')
+        return token_l
+
+    def readRefs(n):
+        return struct.unpack('>' + ref_format * n, in_file.read(n * ref_size))
+
+    def getObject(ref):
+        if ref not in objects:
+            objects[ref] = readNextObject(object_offsets[ref])
+        return objects[ref]
+
+    def readNextObject(offset):
+        """ read the object at offset. May recursively read sub-objects (content of an array/dict/set) """
+        in_file.seek(offset)
+        token = in_file.read(1)[0]
+        token_h, token_l = token & 0xF0, token & 0x0F #high and low parts
+        if token_h == 0x00:
+            if token_l in atoms:
+                return atoms[token_l]
+        elif token_h == 0x10: #int
+            return int.from_bytes(in_file.read(2 << token_l), 'big')
+        elif token_h == 0x20: #real
+            if token_l == 2:
+                return struct.unpack('>f', in_file.read(4))[0]
+            elif token_l == 3:
+                return struct.unpack('>d', in_file.read(8))[0]
+        elif token_h == 0x30: #date
+            if token_l == 0x03:
+                f = struct.unpack('>d', in_file.read(8))[0]
+                return datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(f + MAC_OS_X_TIME_OFFSET)
+        elif token_h == 0x40: #data
+            s = getSize(token_l)
+            return in_file.read(s)
+        elif token_h == 0x50: #ascii string
+            s = getSize(token_l)
+            return in_file.read(s).decode('ascii')
+        elif token_h == 0x60: #unicode string
+            s = getSize(token_l)
+            return in_file.read(s * 2).decode('utf-16be')
+        elif token_h == 0x80: #uid
+            return in_file.read(token_l + 1)
+        elif token_h == 0xA0: #array
+            s = getSize(token_l)
+            obj_refs = readRefs(s)
+            return [getObject(x) for x in obj_refs]
+        elif token_h == 0xC0: #set
+            s = getSize(token_l)
+            obj_refs = readRefs(s)
+            return set(getObject(x) for x in obj_refs)
+        elif token_h == 0xD0: #dict
+            s = getSize(token_l)
+            key_refs = readRefs(s)
+            obj_refs = readRefs(s)
+            return {getObject(k): getObject(o) for k, o in zip(key_refs, obj_refs)}
+        raise InvalidFileException()
+
+    return getObject(top_object)
+
 # Contents should conform to a subset of ISO 8601
 # (in particular, YYYY '-' MM '-' DD 'T' HH ':' MM ':' SS 'Z'.  Smaller units may be omitted with
 #  a loss of precision)