Procedure for Downloading Amazon Books with Kindle eink Reader

[TheArtfulDodger]

Hello:
Because of the recent (June 2023) change in the Amazon book DRM, I wanted to find out exactly how to use a Kindel eink reader to transfer books to Calibre.
Thanks in advance.

Sparky

[theducks]

1) register the device
2) purchase a book at Amazon
3) Goto content and devices (the menu is part of you user account)
4) click Books. You should see your OWNED content
5) At the right, Click More Actions: Download and transfer via USB: Select your registered eink device (any DRM is set for the device)

[TheArtfulDodger]

Hello:
Unfortunately, the process falls apart at number 5. I have seen comments on this forum that to remove the DRM, one can download to Calibre via a Kindle eink device. Since I own two of these devices, I thought I'd give that a shot but I have no Idea how. That process I was hoping to learn.
This is a relatively new problem, sometime in 2023, as prior to that time everything worked well.

Sparky

[DNSB]

If the book is not downloadable to your eInk Kindle, that suggests that the only available format is KFX. You can look into using DeDRM 10.0.9 and KFX Input to allow importing them into calibre from K4PC 2.0. However this is likely to be short lived since Amazon has been known to switch KFX encryption when it has been broken.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

If the book is not downloadable to your eInk Kindle, that suggests that the only available format is KFX.

Or that they're books borrowed via KU, not purchased.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Or that they're books borrowed via KU, not purchased.

True, there is that as well.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by TheArtfulDodger

Hello:
Unfortunately, the process falls apart at number 5. I have seen comments on this forum that to remove the DRM, one can download to Calibre via a Kindle eink device. Since I own two of these devices, I thought I'd give that a shot but I have no Idea how. That process I was hoping to learn.
This is a relatively new problem, sometime in 2023, as prior to that time everything worked well.

Sparky

Did you buy those books? Or are they from Kindle Unlimited?

[TheArtfulDodger]

Yes, this one is KU. I guess that's what it's called. One of my 20.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by TheArtfulDodger

Yes, this one is KU. I guess that's what it's called. One of my 20.

KU books can't be downloaded with the Download & Transfer; only purchased books can be deDRMed that way.

[TheArtfulDodger]

Does that mean that KU books cannot, in any way, be moved to Calibre? So, to read them, one would have to read them with an eink Kindle or Kindle for PC. Period.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by TheArtfulDodger

Does that mean that KU books cannot, in any way, be moved to Calibre? So, to read them, one would have to read them with an eink Kindle or Kindle for PC. Period.

Be aware that if you read them on anything else, the authors won't get paid. KU authors are paid per pages read.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by TheArtfulDodger

Does that mean that KU books cannot, in any way, be moved to Calibre? So, to read them, one would have to read them with an eink Kindle or Kindle for PC. Period.

Or another Kindle app or device, online, etc. If you do not read a KU loan through an Amazon app or device, the author does not get paid.

Edit: should have read @Sirtel's response before replying but STET.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by TheArtfulDodger

Does that mean that KU books cannot, in any way, be moved to Calibre? So, to read them, one would have to read them with an eink Kindle or Kindle for PC. Period.

Or phone/tablet Kindle App.

Pointless to remove DRM from KU, cheats the authors.

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by DNSB

If the book is not downloadable to your eInk Kindle, that suggests that the only available format is KFX.

Are there examples of purchased books that are compatible with eInk devices and are only available as KFX?

I bought a book published in May 2023 and the format downloaded to Kindle for PC was KFX (which could not have the DRM removed until I upgraded the NoDRM version), but I had no problem using "download and transfer" to my Paperwhite and got a KF8 (AZW3).

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by nabsltd

Are there examples of purchased books that are compatible with eInk devices and are only available as KFX?

Never seen it. The KFX that doesn't work on eink is likely mostly fixed layout / Print replica. Maybe an update to azw4?

We'd got KFX for nearly everything on a PW3 via WiFi, till we stopped. We re-downloaded 3 years of purchases of two of us and got azw3 instead for most. Some was azw or mobi.

Anything I ever did manage to get from Amazon before KFX that claimed to be App/K4PC only (download for eink greyed out) turned out to be fixed layout (even when not a wrapped PDF) and was no use on eink due to formatting. One was perfectly viable as regular mobi or azw3, but the idiot wanted to replicate paper exactly for it.