Is It Love or More Snipping?

A newspaper advertising campaign might at first glance appear to be an effort to make amends, but it could be just the latest salvo in the war of words between Adobe and Apple.

Adobe Systems Inc. is running the ad to counter Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs (News - Alert)' recent jab at Adobe's Flash technology for Web video and games. Jobs had described Flash as buggy and unfit for Apple's iPhone (News - Alert) and iPad gadgets.

The ad reads "We Love Apple" - with a bright red heart in place of love."We love creativity," "We love innovation," "We love apps."

"What we don't love," it continues, "is anybody taking away your freedom to choose what you create, how you create it, and what you experience on the Web."

Adobe co-founders Chuck Geschke and John Warnock, posted a statement criticizing Apple (News - Alert).

"When markets are open, anyone with a great idea has a chance to drive innovation and find new customers," wroteAdobe co-founders Chuck Geschke and John Warnock in a  posted statement criticizing Apple, adding that Apple's "opposite approach" could undermine a future in which mobile devices outnumber traditional computers on the Internet.

In a statement, Apple said that it, too, believed in openness. The company said that is why it favors the emerging HTML5 programming standard rather than Adobe's proprietary Flash product for Web video.