Kobo Books Query

Brianrh · 03-03-2025, 03:55 PM

I've just acquired my first books from the Kobo book store, two were free and one I bought and they arrived shortly after on my Auro.

I do like to backup my books and it was then I had a bit of a problem. From the list of my books on the Kobo website I clicked to download them all. Two books, one free and one I purchased came as .acsm files and the other an epub. The epub I could open easily but Adobe Editions couldn't open the other two.

I am struggling to understand why this should be. Do other people have this same problem?

Thanks.

Sirtel · 03-03-2025, 04:45 PM

Was there an error message? ADE can be pretty capricious sometimes; you should try again later.

Or you could install the deACSM plugin in Calibre and import the .acsm files directly.

dragoworld235 · 03-03-2025, 05:52 PM

For backuping books bought on the kobo store, I use the calibre obok plugin from the noDRM/DeDRM_tools github repository.
Calibre: https://calibre-ebook.com/

On windows, install the Kobo Desktop App from the kobo website. (I don’t know if obok can be used on mac, and no kobo app on linux

)
Connect your account used to buy the books.

As the obok plugin is accessing the database of the kobo app, I never have the kobo app and calibre launched at the same time.

Download the books within the kobo app (don’t worry where they are stored).
Close the kobo app.

Launch calibre.
With the obok plugin installed, you should have an "Obok DeDRM" button in the top toolbar.
It will show a list of the books downloaded with the kobo app.
Select and import them.
Once it done, close calibre (after importing books with obok, my list of books is always buggy and need to restart calibre to work).

You can now launch the kobo app again and remove the books downloaded if you want.

You can use calibre as your library, or export the books as epub files from it if you want.

Aleron Ives · 03-03-2025, 07:20 PM

What made you choose that route as opposed to just downloading the ACSM file from the Kobo website and opening it with the Calibre ACSM plugin?

PeterT · 03-03-2025, 07:24 PM

Not all Kobo books are available via ADE / ACSM.

Aleron Ives · 03-03-2025, 07:25 PM

Really? What kind of books can't you get that way?

DNSB · 03-04-2025, 01:12 AM

Among other books, any Kobo Plus loans are not able to be transferred from the Kobo Desktop app to calibre nor will they show as downloadable from the ... menu.

The first attached image is a Kobo purchased ebook while the second was a Kobo Plus ebook

Aleron Ives · 03-04-2025, 01:37 AM

OK, but Kobo Plus is irrelevant, since you shouldn't be removing DRM on those books anyway, due to authors not getting paid if you do.

DNSB · 03-04-2025, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

OK, but Kobo Plus is irrelevant, since you shouldn't be removing DRM on those books anyway, due to authors not getting paid if you do.

You could also look at any DRM Free ePubs on Kobo which are delivered as an ePub file which neither ADE or ACSM can download.

Uncle Robin · 03-04-2025, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

What made you choose that route as opposed to just downloading the ACSM file from the Kobo website and opening it with the Calibre ACSM plugin?

I do it exactly the same way as the poster to whom you're replying. Since I regularly use a purchased Kobo audiobook on my PC, my desktop app os open often, that means I don't have to worry about downloading acsm files. The Desktop app syncs every time I open it, then later when I open Calibre, Obok shows me any books I need to deDRM. Simple.

Aleron Ives · 03-04-2025, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

You could also look at any DRM Free ePubs on Kobo which are delivered as an ePub file which neither ADE or ACSM can download.

OK, but that's still irrelevant. My question was why he chose to use the OBOK method to remove DRM, when it seems like most people here use the ADE/ACSM/ADEPT method.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

The Desktop app syncs every time I open it, then later when I open Calibre, Obok shows me any books I need to deDRM. Simple.

Thank you. Having automatic syncing and detection of new books does indeed sound convenient.

dragoworld235 · 03-04-2025, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

OK, but that's still irrelevant. My question was why he chose to use the OBOK method to remove DRM, when it seems like most people here use the ADE/ACSM/ADEPT method.

My config to import acsm was not always working (certainly because I have not yet understood exactly how it works).
I was just trying to import acsm on my calibre on linux, and I can’t make it work every time.

When I wanted to backup my kobo library to calibre, downloading acsm one by one from the kobo website was tedious.
The kobo app allowed me to download books in batch.

Brianrh · 03-04-2025, 06:42 AM

I was surprised that an online ebook shop would supply ebooks in different formats. I don't know if it is anything due to the original publisher but I hadn't come across it before.

I hadn't realised the thing with Plus books not paying if DRM removed. I'll remember that in the future and just look to only remove the DRM from the ones I've bought.

I tried my usual method of converting acsm to epub using Adobe DE but that didn't work due to some licensing server issue (must investigate later).

I have the DeACSM 0.016 plugin added to Calibre and entered my Adobe details. When I added the downlownloaded acsm file and tried to convert I get a window I get a " Could not convert the book because no supported source format was found". I then tried to sideload the bought book from my Aura and got a warning that it was a virtual book.

This is the first time I've tried using this plugin and presumeably I'm doing something wrong unless it is the Adobe licensing problem again.

Any thing obvious I'm getting wrong? Any suggestions for other things to try would be appreciated.

Thanks for the help.

Sirtel · 03-04-2025, 07:06 AM

You don't convert acsm files. They should be imported as epubs automatically.

To sideload from the Aura, you'll need the obok plugin from the deDRM folder.

Quoth · 03-04-2025, 07:19 AM

An acsm file is a text "ticket" to redeem an epub with DRM. ADE is the official method, but downloads an epub encumbered with DRM. An acsm file from Kobo expires in about 6 hours and then you need a fresh download of the acsm if you didn't redeem the ebook. Once an acsm is used with a particular Adobe account a fresh download of the same acsm (say you accidentally deleted the epub) needs the same Adobe account. An acsm for a different book can use a different account.

The plug-ins on Calibre automate the process and can use your ADE/Adobe account or a different scheme, but not for the same ebook.

03-03-2025, 03:55 PM	#1
Brianrh Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 571204 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Purton, Wiltshire, UK Device: Kobo Touch, Kobo Auro Edition 2	Kobo Books Query I've just acquired my first books from the Kobo book store, two were free and one I bought and they arrived shortly after on my Auro. I do like to backup my books and it was then I had a bit of a problem. From the list of my books on the Kobo website I clicked to download them all. Two books, one free and one I purchased came as .acsm files and the other an epub. The epub I could open easily but Adobe Editions couldn't open the other two. I am struggling to understand why this should be. Do other people have this same problem? Thanks.

03-04-2025, 01:12 AM	#7
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 45,708 Karma: 168959600 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Among other books, any Kobo Plus loans are not able to be transferred from the Kobo Desktop app to calibre nor will they show as downloadable from the ... menu. The first attached image is a Kobo purchased ebook while the second was a Kobo Plus ebook Attached Thumbnails

03-04-2025, 07:06 AM	#14
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,392 Karma: 238915017 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	You don't convert acsm files. They should be imported as epubs automatically. To sideload from the Aura, you'll need the obok plugin from the deDRM folder. Last edited by Sirtel; 03-04-2025 at 07:13 AM.

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03-03-2025, 04:45 PM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,392 Karma: 238915017 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Was there an error message? ADE can be pretty capricious sometimes; you should try again later. Or you could install the deACSM plugin in Calibre and import the .acsm files directly.

03-03-2025, 05:52 PM	#3
dragoworld235 Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: kobo libra 2	For backuping books bought on the kobo store, I use the calibre obok plugin from the noDRM/DeDRM_tools github repository. Calibre: https://calibre-ebook.com/ On windows, install the Kobo Desktop App from the kobo website. (I don’t know if obok can be used on mac, and no kobo app on linux ) Connect your account used to buy the books. As the obok plugin is accessing the database of the kobo app, I never have the kobo app and calibre launched at the same time. Download the books within the kobo app (don’t worry where they are stored). Close the kobo app. Launch calibre. With the obok plugin installed, you should have an "Obok DeDRM" button in the top toolbar. It will show a list of the books downloaded with the kobo app. Select and import them. Once it done, close calibre (after importing books with obok, my list of books is always buggy and need to restart calibre to work). You can now launch the kobo app again and remove the books downloaded if you want. You can use calibre as your library, or export the books as epub files from it if you want.

03-03-2025, 07:20 PM	#4
Aleron Ives Wizard Posts: 1,677 Karma: 16307824 Join Date: Sep 2022 Device: Kobo Libra 2	What made you choose that route as opposed to just downloading the ACSM file from the Kobo website and opening it with the Calibre ACSM plugin?

03-03-2025, 07:24 PM	#5
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,428 Karma: 78880114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Not all Kobo books are available via ADE / ACSM.

03-03-2025, 07:25 PM	#6
Aleron Ives Wizard Posts: 1,677 Karma: 16307824 Join Date: Sep 2022 Device: Kobo Libra 2	Really? What kind of books can't you get that way?

03-04-2025, 01:37 AM	#8
Aleron Ives Wizard Posts: 1,677 Karma: 16307824 Join Date: Sep 2022 Device: Kobo Libra 2	OK, but Kobo Plus is irrelevant, since you shouldn't be removing DRM on those books anyway, due to authors not getting paid if you do.

03-04-2025, 06:42 AM	#13
Brianrh Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 571204 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Purton, Wiltshire, UK Device: Kobo Touch, Kobo Auro Edition 2	I was surprised that an online ebook shop would supply ebooks in different formats. I don't know if it is anything due to the original publisher but I hadn't come across it before. I hadn't realised the thing with Plus books not paying if DRM removed. I'll remember that in the future and just look to only remove the DRM from the ones I've bought. I tried my usual method of converting acsm to epub using Adobe DE but that didn't work due to some licensing server issue (must investigate later). I have the DeACSM 0.016 plugin added to Calibre and entered my Adobe details. When I added the downlownloaded acsm file and tried to convert I get a window I get a " Could not convert the book because no supported source format was found". I then tried to sideload the bought book from my Aura and got a warning that it was a virtual book. This is the first time I've tried using this plugin and presumeably I'm doing something wrong unless it is the Adobe licensing problem again. Any thing obvious I'm getting wrong? Any suggestions for other things to try would be appreciated. Thanks for the help.

03-04-2025, 07:19 AM	#15
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,865 Karma: 103895653 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	An acsm file is a text "ticket" to redeem an epub with DRM. ADE is the official method, but downloads an epub encumbered with DRM. An acsm file from Kobo expires in about 6 hours and then you need a fresh download of the acsm if you didn't redeem the ebook. Once an acsm is used with a particular Adobe account a fresh download of the same acsm (say you accidentally deleted the epub) needs the same Adobe account. An acsm for a different book can use a different account. The plug-ins on Calibre automate the process and can use your ADE/Adobe account or a different scheme, but not for the same ebook.

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