Palm Digital Media and OverDrive, Inc., a provider of eBook, eCommerce and Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions, have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining their intention to expand global digital distribution and retail marketing of eBooks in the Palm Reader(TM) format.

OverDrive said it plans to integrate Palm Digital Media's DRM technology and eBook catalog into its suite of eCommerce solutions, including MIDAS and Digital Kiosk -- turnkey retail systems for the secure distribution of eBooks through the Internet. The companies said OverDrive would be the first distributor to offer and support eBooks in the Palm Reader format through Content Reserve, OverDrive's B2B digital content network serving more than 400 publishers worldwide.

Christopher North, vice president and general manager of Electronic Publishing for HarperCollins, commented, "We're excited by the possibility of working with two of our key eBook partners, Palm Digital Media and OverDrive, to bring Palm Reader eBooks to an even wider audience. This initiative would make it possible for our retail partners to offer PerfectBound eBooks in the Palm Reader format to their customers and help us continue the rapid growth in sales of our authors' eBooks."

Palm Digital Media currently has an inventory of nearly 5,000 titles from leading publishers, including HarperCollins, Random House, Simon & Schuster, St. Martin's Press and AOL Time Warner Book Group.