After last year's iPad and iBooks announcement, Apple made no real changes to its policy of accepting competing ereader applications from devices like the Kindle and Kobo, allowing users to read books purchased by the competing devices and apps. 
Now, Apple has slightly changed their policy, asking for a cut of the ebook sales when the content is purchased through an iOS application.
The news came after Apple rejected Sony's ereader app, which would have allowed purchases directly from the Sony Reader Store. Instead, according to a Sony exec, Apple now requires all in-app purchases to go through Apple. Both the Amazon Kindle app and Sony Reader app open a browser window to allow for book purchases, so opponents to Apple's new policy conclude that in-app purchases aren't taking place.
Read Apple's take on the changes after the break.
Obviously, competition breeds innovation; without some healthy competition, companies wouldn't be pushed as hard to create the best possible products and experiences for consumers. And with so many smart companies and products on the market, it's nice to see that instead of constant head-to-head combat, companies took advantage of the progress made by their competitors, often embracing unlikely sources to make their services better. It's probably as close as we'll get to a feel-good technology story of 2010. 
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