Adobe evangelist tells Apple: 'Go screw yourself'

IDG News Service - Responding to a change in the licensing terms for developers building applications for version 4.0 of the iPhone, a technology evangelist for Adobe Systems has told Apple to go perform an anatomically impossible act.

"Go screw yourself Apple," wrote Lee Brimelow, an Adobe platform evangelist, on his personal Web site, The Flash Blog.

The post is the latest volley in an escalating war between Apple and Adobe. This week, Apple changed the licensing language for its iPhone SDK (software development kit) in such a way that developers may not submit programs to Apple that use cross-platform compilers (or compilers that would allow them to write a program once and have it run on either the iPhone, Android or any other platform with no changes).

As it happens, Adobe plans to introduce just such a cross-platform compiler with version 5 of its Creative Suite content creation package, due out on Monday.

Observers have pointed out that Apple's decision will affect not just Adobe, but any other makers of cross-platform compilers. But the move comes after Apple has banned Adobe's Flash Player from its iPhones and iPads, with Steve Jobs instructing Web developers to use HTML5 instead.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Friday, Adobe identified Apple's refusal to allow Flash on its devices as a "risk factor" for its business that could steer users toward "alternative technologies."

Adobe's official response to the new license terms had thus far been measured. A spokeswoman sent back the message, by e-mail: "We are aware of Apple's new SDK language and are looking into it. We continue to develop our Packager for iPhone OS technology, which we plan to debut in Flash CS5."

Brimelow, however, does not withhold his contempt. Apple's action "is a frightening move that has no rational defense other than wanting tyrannical control over developers and more importantly, wanting to use developers as pawns in their crusade against Adobe," he wrote.

Brimelow's blog has a disclaimer stating the opinions expressed there are his own and not those of Adobe. The WHOIS Internet domain name information service backs this claim, listing Brimelow, not Adobe, as the owner of Flashblog.com.

Adobe, evidently, was at least aware of the blog post just as it went live. The second paragraph mentions that a line was edited out on behalf of Adobe. The earlier version of the post apparently stated that "What is clear is that Apple has timed this purposely to hurt sales of CS5."

Brimelow's blog post closes with a final jab: "Comments disabled as I'm not interested in hearing from the Cupertino Comment SPAM bots."

Adobe has confirmed that Brimelow works for Adobe.