Online book retailer Barnes & Noble, which earlier in the month launched its nook ebook reader, has been collaborating with Adobe to standardise the EPUB ebook and content protection standards.

It means that users aren’t restricted to using a nook to read books purchased at the B&N store, but can also use e-reader software for iPhone, PC, BlackBerry and more, as well as access content copy-protected by Adobe technology.

“By standardising on EPUB and collaborating with Adobe on a content protection standard based on Adobe technology, Barnes & Noble is delivering the richest range of content available, across a broader array of devices than anybody else,” says William J. Lynch, president of BarnesandNoble.com Inc. “This collaboration with Adobe further delivers on our commitment to provide the digital content our customers want, anytime, anywhere and on whatever device they choose.”

The idea behind a range of book publishers embracing the non-proprietary EPUB standard over a system such as the one developed by Amazon for its Kindle is to avoid one publisher becoming dominant and locking others out of the market, as Apple and iTunes had done before it opened up its music file format.

Via

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