Sony is looking to take on Amazon by opening up its platform and will start to publish content in the Epub format according to informationweek.com. Sony said that they hope to be selling content in this format by year end and will adopt Adobe"s technology that limits how many times an Epub titles can be copied.
Selling content in the Epub format is a drastic change for Sony and its usual business agenda. The Epub format is an open standard that will allow Sony"s content to be available on products that are produced by other manufactures.
Sony allowing its content to be natively viewed on other manufactures products is a far contrast from its traditional style of creating proprietary formats. It"s hard to tell if Sony is looking to change from its bad habits of locking down its formats or if it"s truly having a change of heart and letting go of its proprietary ways.
Sony is taking on Amazon who has the lead in the marketplace thanks to its Kindle. Since Sony is opening its platform up it will give it an advantage over Amazon by allowing its customers to use whatever device they please since they are adopting the open format.
Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for Sony and its proprietary formats. When large companies start adopting open formats it makes life easier for the consumer who no longer gets locked into one brands products.