Abode may file a lawsuit against Apple over new developers’ agreement  

With Section 3.3.1 of Apple’s new developers’ agreement clearly prohibiting iPhone apps developers from using cross-platform development tools – evidently blocking Abode Flash in particular -, an ITWorld report says that Abode is likely to file a lawsuit against Apple for denial of Flash on the iPhone platform.

While earlier Apple prohibited developers form using undocumented API calls, the section 3.3.1 of the new iPhone Developer Agreement now bars iPhone apps from being developed in any language except Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript; thereby preventing developers from compiling apps via any “intermediary translation or compatibility layer.”

Apparently, the new clause is targeted directly at Adobe, whose popular ‘Flash’ plug-in has been kept off the Apple mobile platforms. Abode, which has spent the last over one year for Flash R&D, and is coming up with a new Flash CS5 feature capable of packaging Flash projects asiPhone apps, will now find apps created using Flash being rejected at the App Store.

Incidentally, Apple has assured that some of the other cross-platform mobile development suites – including PhoneGap, Ansca’s Corona, and those from MonoTouch, GameSalad, and Unity3D – are not in violation of the new agreement.

Meanwhile, in case Abode does take the legal route against Apple, as reported, not only be the animosity between Apple and Adobe intensify further, but Apple’s power to protect its own platform will also be gauged.