Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 and KFX in calibre

[justloveebooks]

Originally Posted by odamizu

However, it can be an old, used one. jhowell has made some recommendations on best models to buy.

Not entirely correct, it has to be an older one. The newer ones get KFX even when using the download & transfer option.

Tested this:
Kindle Signature Firmware 5.15.1 does get a locked AZW3 file, which I cannot DeDRM. Contains KFX3 (? or newer)
Kindle Voyage Firmware 5.13.6 stopped getting Updates. The AZW3 file can be DeDRMed, if this is selected. Interestingly enough the Voyage is able to handle KFX, but I think they updated the format a few times and the Voyage cannot handle the newer ones, only KFX1 and 2? But this is serious guesswork, so I may be wrong.

The two books I pre-ordered:
Critical Mass (Delta-v #02) by Daniel Suarez
Going Dark by Melissa de la Cruz

Both published January 31st, 2023

[melltuga]

oh no, just read the update on the first post
That's really sad. I really liked my Kindle, but if I can't backup my ebooks outside of the amazon cloud I'm definitely gone.

Just a while ago my amazon account was locked by mistake (I'm from germany and bought something from Amazon Spain which led to my account being locked automatically) and I couldn't access my books for days, and I couldn't even use my kindle as it was locked as well.
(or rather I couldn't access it, because my account was locked)

Since I had all my books on my computer it wasn't that big of a deal, I just fired up my old e-reader and continued reading there.

I guess it will takes ages (if at all) for the new KFX format to be cracked, right?

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by justloveebooks

Not entirely correct, it has to be an older one. The newer ones get KFX even when using the download & transfer option.

No, you're fine with even the current models for download & transfer. You just need to enter their serial number into DeDRM.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by melltuga

oh no, just read the update on the first post
That's really sad. I really liked my Kindle, but if I can't backup my ebooks outside of the amazon cloud I'm definitely gone.

Just a while ago my amazon account was locked by mistake (I'm from germany and bought something from Amazon Spain which led to my account being locked automatically) and I couldn't access my books for days, and I couldn't even use my kindle as it was locked as well.
(or rather I couldn't access it, because my account was locked)

Since I had all my books on my computer it wasn't that big of a deal, I just fired up my old e-reader and continued reading there.

I guess it will takes ages (if at all) for the new KFX format to be cracked, right?

If you have e-ink Kindle on your account, you can still get the decryptable formats even with newly published books for now. But being locked out of your account is a whole other issue.

No, don't expect the new KFX DRM to be removable soon. Especially since this is still not affecting very many books and there are workarounds.

[melltuga]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

If you have e-ink Kindle on your account, you can still get the decryptable formats even with newly published books for now. But being locked out of your account is a whole other issue.

No, don't expect the new KFX DRM to be removable soon. Especially since this is still not affecting very many books and there are workarounds.

I was just looking into buying an older kindle, thank you
I've searched the thread for "model", "recommended" and a few other keywords, but I couldn't find out which models are recommended.

I know jhowell put out a few recommendations, but I couldn't find them.
I just want to make sure I don't buy one where I can't convert the books...

Edit: There's someone selling a 7th generation Paperwhite (2015) close to where I live, is that something that would work?

[melltuga]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

If you have e-ink Kindle on your account, you can still get the decryptable formats even with newly published books for now. But being locked out of your account is a whole other issue.

No, don't expect the new KFX DRM to be removable soon. Especially since this is still not affecting very many books and there are workarounds.

(sorry if this is going to be a double post, but somehow my last post didn't show)

Thanks, I was just looking into getting an older Kindle.
I've tried searching the thread with a few keywords (model, recommended and a few more) but couldn't find jhowells post with the recommended models.

Someone in my area is selling a 2015 Paperwhite (7. Generation), will method 3 work with one of those?

[lkmiller]

Any E-ink Kindle (not a Fire) will give you access to download & transfer.

eta: for now...who knows what Amazon will change next.

[melltuga]

Oh no, I just realized that it even works with the Kindle I already have (Paperwhite 2021). For some reason I always thought it had to be an older device.
Why did I ever bother with Kindle for PC / Mac at all xD?

Edit:

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Any E-ink Kindle (not a Fire) will give you access to download & transfer.

Thank you, I just found that out a second ago thanks to a post of yours a little bit higher up. I absolutely did not know that. I'm so happy right now, thank you !

[Quoth]

You don't even have to figure 0OIl1 on serial ID, Amazon helpfully put it on your web account device page for ease of copy/paste into the required Plug-in.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Slightly on the topic, and something I've been curious about. I have a (physical) edition of the Secret Garden published by Dalmatian Press. Don't see many changes from the original (they changed a few instances of 'gay' to 'carefree', lol). Yet the copyright page says "This edition copyright 2004..."

What exactly is being copyrighted here?

Originally Posted by Quoth

Their format /layout and significant edits (such as gay to carefree).

They also changed an instance of characters expressing approval of domestic abuse to them expressing approval of divorce. (Specifically, changing the word 'beat' to 'leave'.)

I usually don't like it when they mess around with the text too much, but this is probably for the best...

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

They also changed an instance of characters expressing approval of domestic abuse to them expressing approval of divorce. (Specifically, changing the word 'beat' to 'leave'.)

I usually don't like it when they mess around with the text too much, but this is probably for the best...

Then it's a derivative work that misleadingly has the same title, because the characters have got a different ethos.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Then it's a derivative work that misleadingly has the same title, because the characters have got a different ethos.

Yes. I really hate it when they "sanitize" older books to suit modern values. If I want modern values, I'll read a modern book. Leave the older books alone.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Then it's a derivative work that misleadingly has the same title, because the characters have got a different ethos.

Is it? I've been checking it against a digital unedited copy and would say it's 98% identical. The only changes I've seen were gay > carefree and beat > leave.

Interestingly, they did not change the (period-appropriate) racism of the characters, which is something I would've expected in a derivative work.

[ComputerGranny]

Thank you all for the effort you spent responding to me!! It worked!!! I can now remove DRM from Kindles I purchase. I am so grateful to you all.

I've been looking at the conversations here and recognize that there are a lot of reasons for removing DRM. My reason is really simple. I don't have a lot of money to spend on books. When I purchase one, I want to be able to read it over and over, which I do. I have family who spent a lot of money purchasing ebooks that disappeared when the seller decided to stop selling and supporting the devices they sold. (I've been around a long time. ) I just want to keep the books I buy and have access to them as long as I want and to use them on whatever device is currently in vogue. Thanks to you all, I can continue for now.

Thanks again!

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Is it? I've been checking it against a digital unedited copy and would say it's 98% identical. The only changes I've seen were gay > carefree and beat > leave.

The first change doesn't change the meaning. The second change is major change of meaning. So not trivial. It's no longer the same story. If some is making that sort of change to a PD work, then it needs to be indicated in the subtitle. If it's in copyright, they need the permission of the author or estate.

I was annoyed with Gutenberg about "At the Back of the North Wind". On that page they recommended a link to an illustrated version, so I downloaded it instead.
Its title is "At the Back of the North Wind (Simplified)" and it has a second author.
it's about 28,000 words versus 92,000 in the original, but at least the title warned me. It was actually paper published that way, perhaps for younger readers. I'd call that seriously abridged. Readers Digest did that. I now don't bother with them if I see them even free.

I expect a republished book or PD ebook to have a new title if it's not the original.
I have both versions of Feist's "Magician" on paper and one has "NEW REVISED EDITION". Not only that, but the author did it and wrote an extra Acknowledgement and Preface.

If you do more than typos and punctuations, like gay > carefree or ejaculated to shouted that's revision, though it's often insulting the intelligence of the readers. If you change the meaning, then it's a derived work. It doesn't matter if it's only one sentence in the book (maybe 0.1%). Like if she/he/they don't die. Or who the criminal is (needs less than 1% rewrite).