Sony has announced its intent to use the EPUB format as the standard for all of its Reader tablets and e-book download services.

The company on Thursday said that it would be rolling out the system by the end of the year and converting its entire online store to the new format. Sony will also be using Adobe Content Server for copy protection.

Sony said the decision was driven by a desire to simplify its e-book business. EPUB is already a popular format within the e-book sector. Steve Haber, president of the Sony digital reading business division, said the company was looking to "lead by example".

"Our Readers have long supported industry-standard formats such as EPUB and PDF," Haber said.

"Now, what is quickly becoming the de facto standard for e-books will be available in our store."

The switch is the latest e-book effort from Sony, which has been battling Amazon and its Kindle tablet for market dominance. Earlier this month, the company rolled out a pair of new models including the smaller Pocket Edition and touch-screen-enabled Touch Edition.