Number of downloads exceeded, how to free

[Andy_T]

Hello,

as I am a moderately active e-reader-buyer, I have a number of Kindle devices registered to my name, and I read the same books on all of them.

When I wanted to load some books of the "Dresden files" to my all-new Kindle PW 2, I got the error message that I had exceeded the number of downloads covered by the license. The message suggested that I could de-register some devices, delete the book from them or buy additional licenses.

So how do I correctly remove the book from one of my devices? Do I have to de-register the device? Can I simply delete the book from the device and the license will be freed? Or do I have to do both? I have a bricked Kindle Keyboard that I could de-register, would that free up the license?

I would hate to remove the books from one or more of my devices (Basic Kindle, Kindle fire, iPhone, iPad) and then still not be able to install it on another device.

Sorry if that question has already been asked, I did a forum search for "license" and got hundreds of hits, but none that help me answer this question.

Best regards,
Andy

[nynaevelan]

You do not need to de-register the device, just remove the book from the device(s).

[susan_cassidy]

And make sure to sync, afterward.

[Andy_T]

Thank you for the information, will try that!
Especially the syncing.

Regarding my old Kindle Keyboard that is no longer working, will de-registering it free up the books downloaded there?

Best regards,
Andy

[Barbara1955]

6 is the limit I was once told.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Andy_T

Regarding my old Kindle Keyboard that is no longer working, will de-registering it free up the books downloaded there?

Yes, it should free up anything the system has registered as going to that device.

Originally Posted by Katie1

6 is the limit I was once told.

It depends on the publisher. It's often six for DRM'd books (but, can be less) from big publishers, but DRM free books have no device number limits.

[eschwartz]

I would suggest deleting-syncing-adding to PW and then add the book fom PW to calibre (making sure to remove the DRM) so you can send the book from calibre to whichever device you want without restrictions.

[Readirect]

The problem is with DRM. Use Calibre and google how to convert drm ebooks. Once done, you can sideload to any device you choose. The drm checks which devices the book is residing on, not which are being actively read at the same time. As long as the book you bought isn't being read simultaneously a greater number of times than is allowed by the license, it would seem all is good ethically.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Readirect

The problem is with DRM. Use Calibre and google how to convert drm ebooks. Once done, you can sideload to any device you choose. The drm checks which devices the book is residing on, not which are being actively read at the same time. As long as the book you bought isn't being read simultaneously a greater number of times than is allowed by the license, it would seem all is good ethically.

Ethically, there is no problem whatsoever other than the fact that they are restricting your rights unfairly.

If the book is only licensed, then why do they call it "buying"? Most people are not aware that you only bought a license. Therefore, I call this "licensing" illegal, since very few people would actually buy an ebook that was only "licensed", and I will happily do anything I want with my property short of duplicating said property and redistributing it.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Ethically, there is no problem whatsoever other than the fact that they are restricting your rights unfairly.

If the book is only licensed, then why do they call it "buying"? Most people are not aware that you only bought a license. Therefore, I call this "licensing" illegal, since very few people would actually buy an ebook that was only "licensed", and I will happily do anything I want with my property short of duplicating said property and redistributing it.

It's not at all unreasonable to restrict the number of simultaneous usages for a digital product. Consider the case of, say, a school who buys one copy of an ebook and then distributes it to all their pupils. That's not fair at all to the author or publisher of the book. Usage limits are entirely reasonable.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's not at all unreasonable to restrict the number of simultaneous usages for a digital product. Consider the case of, say, a school who buys one copy of an ebook and then distributes it to all their pupils. That's not fair at all to the author or publisher of the book. Usage limits are entirely reasonable.

That falls under the category of redistribution. Clearly Baen and Tor and anyone else who publishes DRM-free aren't worried about this kind of piracy. Usage limits are just as reasonable as DRM itself , and make owning multiple devices less useful; the problem is reading, not having, on multiple devices.

I can circumvent this restriction by deleting a book on one Kindle and replacing it with the WiFi off from calibre -- even if the DRM was still there.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

That falls under the category of redistribution.

I was thinking of the situation where a school buys 50 Kindles and registers them all the the same Amazon account. Those are the circumstances in which usage limits are entirely reasonable.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I can circumvent this restriction by deleting a book on one Kindle and replacing it with the WiFi off from calibre -- even if the DRM was still there.

Certainly can, but then you'd have to have a separate copy for each different device.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I was thinking of the situation where a school buys 50 Kindles and registers them all the the same Amazon account. Those are the circumstances in which usage limits are entirely reasonable.

That is redistribution in my books. They bought themselves a copy and went ahead and registered Kindles to give those copies to other people. It is no different from breaking the DRM and posting it as a torrent, except this way uses a different method of providing the readable files.

Look, there is a reason only DRMed books have usage limits.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Look, there is a reason only DRMed books have usage limits.

Yes, that is true by definition, because usage limits are a form of digital rights management. If a book has no digital rights management, then by definition it has no usage limits.