Amazon - Will they become evil

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Exactly right. As a private enterprise, Amazon is entirely within in it's right to protect its interest and block DRM-removal, and doubtless will. Why wouldn't it? Piracy plagues digital media and DRM is there to stop it.

Have you missed the later newsflash where Amazon does not, in fact, have that power?

@Katie1's problem is that no one will provide help or tools to DeDRM and steal borrowed library books. (Even if you claim you are only academically interested in seeing if it works. )


Apprentice Alf's tools are provided as a public service with the Fair Use justification -- they aren't an attempt at anarchy, and the maintainers and contributors are specifically disinterested in helping people steal books they do not own.

[HarryT]

Moderator Notice
Please note that we do not permit MR's forums to be used to discuss, encourage, or otherwise condone, the removal of DRM from library books. Any further posts on the matter will be deleted without comment or notice.

Thanks.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Amazon is clearly moving to a kfx model. It might not fully arrive for a year or two, or it might come next month, but that is clearly their strategy. It appears that the kfx-compatibility was rolled out on Fires in 2013. This is a long-term strategy, and is not just about typographical features. It is clearly in keeping with their walled-garden strategy.

I had been thinking that Amazon would not have gone to the time and expense of developing a totally new format if they didn't plan for it to be widely deployed.

If, as it now appears, KFX was reused from another project to bring interactive magazines to Fire tablets, then that logic no longer holds. I no longer have any idea how far they plan to go with KFX.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Once again the logic behind your reasoning escapes me. It is hardly scare-mongering to discuss the possibilities of the kfx file format. These possibilities are entirely in keeping with Amazon's evident long-term strategy of implementing a walled-garden. I find it odd that you would characterize as "scare-mongering" the discussion of the potential long-term functionality and intent of the kfx format. *shrugs*

This is just scare mongering. If amazon was going to drop old formats for newer formats, than Mobi would be dead and in place KF8 would be the format. Amazon does not want to piss off it's customers by forcing them to have to buy a newer Kindle. So let's drop this KFX will take over Kindle eBook formats.

Though I could easily see a new version of K4PC handle KFX. And that would mean you would need a hardware Kindle in order to use the USB download function to download via your web browser.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Rizla

A very fair point and thank you for the correction. Even if kfx becomes the standard for Kindles and proves impossible to convert, users will continue to be able read their media on a variety of devices, though possibly not on any other e-ink devices, though that's debatable.

Any eInk device that runs Android (such as the T68) where you can install apps can read Kindle eBooks as the Kindle app could be installed.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Unless I'm misunderstanding I see this USB option being suggested as a fallback way of being able to download an AZW3/MOBI for Alf-ing if/when K4PC starts delivering KFX-only format to the PC. Even now this is not a fallback option for me as Amazon just tells me I don't have a suitable device for USB.

Is this because I don't have an eink Kindle? All I have access to is K4PC and K4Android. To date, trying to Alf a file originally delivered directly to my Android device hasn't worked. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but as far as I can see at the moment if AZW3/MOBI doesn't get delivered to my PC via K4PC, I'll need to buy my ebooks elsewhere if I want to deDRM for backup.

Turn off auto-update on K4PC and keep the installer for the older versions. I expect a new version to support KFX.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

All the big publishers do DRM.

Tor does not do DRM and they have found no noticeable drop in sales due to removing DRM.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Katie1

When was the Last time you tried to remove the DRM from a Prime Lending Library eBook? when was the last time you tried to remove DRM from Overdrive Library ebook? I have Not to keep the ebook but just to see if it could still be done. Neither has worked in Over a year.

There is code in the DRM removal plugin to prevent Amazon borrowed eBooks and Overdrive eBooks from having the DRM removed.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Tor does not do DRM and they have found no noticeable drop in sales due to removing DRM.

I was referring to the big 5. I didn't even think about Tor.
I would be more interested in knowing if they saw an increase in sales.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I was referring to the big 5. I didn't even think about Tor.
I would be more interested in knowing if they saw an increase in sales.

If anyone knows the answer, I'd also be interested in knowing.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is code in the DRM removal plugin to prevent Amazon borrowed eBooks and Overdrive eBooks from having the DRM removed.

I didn't know this. Is this something new?

[danskmacabre]

Going back to the OP.

I remember the amazon "1984" incident wayback in 2009 or whenever.
Around then, I was considering getting a dedicated ereader.
I was considering the Kindle vs Kobo.
However when this happened, it turned me right off getting either until about a year later when I got a Kobo ereader, which didn't come with 3g and I could turn off wifi.

So yeah, that incident did scare me off Amazon. Actually more by habit than intent now, I have never bought an ebook from Amazon. but I initially avoided amazon for ebooks for this reason.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Turn off auto-update on K4PC and keep the installer for the older versions. I expect a new version to support KFX.

I don't have auto-update switched on (for anything, ever), but it may not be that simple. IIRC I have had (at least) one version of K4PC which expired, i.e. refused to open until I upgraded to latest version.

[Cinisajoy]

I bought a Kobo first, then a tablet with the kindle app, then a Fire and finally a kindle ereader.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Turn off auto-update on K4PC and keep the installer for the older versions. I expect a new version to support KFX.

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I don't have auto-update switched on (for anything, ever), but it may not be that simple. IIRC I have had (at least) one version of K4PC which expired, i.e. refused to open until I upgraded to latest version.

More than one.
I believe that is Standard Operating Policy.