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My understanding of this issue is that Sony decided to implement their own in-app store. The reason Apple blocks this is because the user will be unable to verify that the store is using a secure connection and using multiple in-app purchase stores adds unneeded complexity.
Additionally, Sony is using their home grown in-app store to write to Apple's in-app purchase area while bypassing the mechanism used to implement content restrictions (such as the locks used to restrict R rated movie content).
Apple is not blocking eBook purchases, but simply blocking the way Sony is choosing to go about implementing them. Sony could make an iOS specific storefront and link to it from the app (then use a sony:// link like amazon does to go back to the app). This would allow content to be downloaded to the App's documents directory and can be made so the user barely (if at all) notices that the App switched. This would also allow the user to verify that their payment information is being sent over a secure connection.
The issue here is mainly that Sony's application is writing to the in-app downloads directory which allows executable files, and not the documents directory which does not allow executable files. Anything writing to a directory that allows executable files must be reviewed by Apple (and hence take the 30% cut). If you don't want to pay that cut, you need to use your own storefront.
That's my understanding of the issue at least. This isn't a new policy... It's just the first time a big company has made a fuss about it.
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