Apple has begun its literary lockdown a bit earlier than I expected, with today’s news that popular iPhone app, Stanza, was required to remove USB ebook transfer functionality.

To recap:
Previous versions of Stanza enabled transfer of ePub and eReader books to the iPhone via USB. According to the Techcrunch article linked above, a source at Stanza’s parent company (owned by Amazon) stated that Apple requested a version update with this specific functionality removed. No further details have been disclosed.

With the launch of the iPad and iBook imminent, I anticipate more actions like this, some overt, others more insidious.

Speculation Time!

At worst, since iBook can be considered core functionality on the iPad, they could elect to ban other e-reader apps entirely. Strongarm tactics like that would undoubtedly garner a fierce initial reaction, but that hasn’t stopped them in the past (see: Google Voice.)

A more likely approach would be to subtly devalue the non-native reading apps, perhaps by offering extended multitasking privileges for iBook that are simply unavailable to 3rd-party developers through the SDK. Let’s call that semi-tasking for now

We’ll all have to wait and see. I’ll try to keep this post updated with the latest. As an avid reader, kindle owner and future iPad owner, I’ve a vested interest in the outcome of the impending eBook format wars.

No matter what transpires, I expect it to be difficult to tell if Apple’s interference with 3rd-party developers is caused by new relationships with ever-paranoid publishing companies or based upon their own grand plans to win in the eBook space.