Apple rejected Sony's iPhone application, which would have let people buy and read e-books bought from the Sony Reader Store.

Apple told Sony that from now on, all in-app purchases would have to go through Apple, said Steve Haber, president of Sony's digital reading division.

The decision could have an impact beyond just Sony. The erection of barricades across devices may prompt companies like Amazon, which currently provides cross-platform use for its Kindle content, to change their mode of thinking.

The reason for Apple's decision, The Times speculates, is that having effectively created a new market, the tablet, it's recognizing its power as a gatekeeper. Content providers that want access to Apple's hordes of App Store customers, in other words, are going to have to play on Apple's terms.

mtaylor [at] observer.com | @mbrookstaylor