Two weeks after Apple CEO Steve Jobs published his anti-Flash manifesto, Adobe — which makes the rich media software — has hit back. But instead of just sending out an anti-Apple rant, Adobe blows a kiss at the company, before scolding companies like Apple that “put content and applications behind walls” and “dictate what you can create, how you create it, or what you can experience on the web.” Oh, and Adobe also thinks that black turtlenecks are evil.

Adobe’s pro-Flash campaign appears in newspapers such as the Washington Post, and on a number of major web sites. In an open letter, Adobe founders Chuck Geschke and John Warnock attempt to debunk Jobs’ claims that Flash is a closed platform, and instead hint that other companies are doing more to undermine open web standards:

We believe that consumers should be able to freely access their favorite content and applications, regardless of what computer they have, what browser they like, or what device suits their needs. No company – no matter how big or how creative – should dictate what you can create, how you create it, or what you can experience on the web.

When markets are open, anyone with a great idea has a chance to drive innovation and find new customers. Adobe’s business philosophy is based on a premise that, in an open market, the best products will win in the end – and the best way to compete is to create the best technology and innovate faster than your competitors.

We believe that Apple, by taking the opposite approach, has taken a step that could undermine this next chapter of the web – the chapter in which mobile devices outnumber computers, any individual can be a publisher, and content is accessed anywhere and at any time.

While Adobe’s Flash format still powers 75% of video on the web, it’s not the company’s main source of revenue. Most of the company’s income comes from its Creative Suite product, which includes developer tools for Flash — but is generally better known as the home of Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere. That could insulate the company from any drop in Flash, though with 50% of all CS sales going to Mac users, Adobe can’t afford to ignore Apple. So, those hearts are likely to keep fluttering. And maybe Geschke and Warnock will trade in their starched shirts and ties for something a little more casual — though we’re just kidding about Adobe hating black turtlenecks.

Our thoughts on open markets [Adobe]
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