Adobe’s alleged plan to sue Apple stems from changes to the iPhone OS software developer license that says apps must be written in the Objective-C, C or C++ programming languages, and that using compatibility layers to convert code from other languages to run on the iPhone is prohibited. That wording blocks the use of Adobe’s Flash CS5 to iPhone compiler, as well as other products such as MonoTouch.
While Adobe’s intentions are murky, there’s a vocal group that’s more than happy to share its opinion on Apple’s policy. Lee Brimelow, Flash evangelist for Adobe, said on his blog that Apple wants “tyrannical control over developers,” and is using developers “as pawns in their crusade against Adobe.” A Facebook fan page called “I’m with Adobe” sprang up shortly after Apple’s updated SDK licensing terms were released, too.
The official stance from Adobe is that the company looking into Apple’s licensing language, but the company hasn’t confirmed that it is looking into legal action.