Amazon and DRM changes

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Enshittification.

Yeah, Amazon is a classic example of this. I still remember its very first years (I became an Amazon customer in 1997) and the first decade of its Kindle platform; those times seem like a fairyland compared to today's Amazon.

[ApprehensiveSoup]

Originally Posted by Flaneurette

Interesting, I just ran into this same message in a different scenario: I checked out a kindle version of a graphic novel from Libby and used the send to Kindle option. Amazon acts like I don’t have a compatible device registered when I in fact do. I’m hoping there is just some software issues going on here with the new devices. I do have a color soft on order but it isn’t listed in my devices yet

Sounds like another case of Amazon not having your device on file.

[geoffwood]

Originally Posted by ApprehensiveSoup

Sounds like another case of Amazon not having your device on file.

Some graphic novels don't work on Kindles, but do work on Fire tablets, so it could just be that Amazon is looking for a Fire tablet and not showing the regular Kindle as available for transfer as it isn't compatible

[Flaneurette]

Originally Posted by geoffwood

Some graphic novels don't work on Kindles, but do work on Fire tablets, so it could just be that Amazon is looking for a Fire tablet and not showing the regular Kindle as available for transfer as it isn't compatible

This could certainly be, but I haven’t run it before and I do read many graphic novels that aren’t compatible on e ink kindles. I guess I was struck by the exact language and timing with the new kindles. But anyway probably unrelated

[ApprehensiveSoup]

Originally Posted by geoffwood

Some graphic novels don't work on Kindles, but do work on Fire tablets, so it could just be that Amazon is looking for a Fire tablet and not showing the regular Kindle as available for transfer as it isn't compatible

You've got a good point.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gustophersmob

Howdy! First post here

I got the 2024 basic and can confirm it does not show up under the “download and transfer via usb” options. My other kindles are listed. The 2024 basic does show in my devices, so it seems, at least for now, it doesn’t have the D&T feature.

Thank you for the info. It'e a shame that Amazon is taking away D&T.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by John F

It doesn't matter if the Kindle lasts forever, as long as it is registered, i.e., don't unregister a kindle.

And do not trade in an older Kindle even thought you get a discount.

[slm]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

I guess we all knew it couldn't last forever, didn't we?

Even if they don't remove the D&T for older Kindle, those devices won't last forever and, eventually, the D&T will be useless.

Actually, I continued to download Kindle newspapers "as" my Kindle1, for many years after machine itself had become unusable. (I liked that version of the mobi format, rather than "new" newspaper format)

As far as I can tell, Amazon will keep assuming you have a use your Kindle as long as you have it registered. My K3 is still usuable for downloading, for example.

[ownedbycats]

Some more Reddit posts:

https://old.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm...r_sideloading/
https://old.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm..._and_transfer/

From the latter one:

Ebook doomsday preppers are a weird lot.

The former post somewhat convinces me that Amazon is doing these to further lock users into the Kindle ecosystem.

[gforgiraffe39935]

Has anyone purchased an eBook on Kindle from a publisher that doesn't use DRM? They should provide the DRM-free file like Kobo, Ebooks dot com, or the publisher's own website. I try not to buy from DRM-having publishers, anyway, but this got me interested. They are turning into B&N. Maybe it'll work for them.

[ownedbycats]

The "DRM-free" books on Kindle aren't actually DRM-free.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by gforgiraffe39935

Has anyone purchased an eBook on Kindle from a publisher that doesn't use DRM? They should provide the DRM-free file like Kobo, Ebooks dot com, or the publisher's own website. I try not to buy from DRM-having publishers, anyway, but this got me interested. They are turning into B&N. Maybe it'll work for them.

If the ebook is delivered by Amazon in mobi or KF8/azw3 format, DRM free books from Baen and Tor are delivered without DRM—at least, they were the last time I tested. If they are delivered in KFX format, they are delivered with a generic KFX encryption which any Amazon KFX-capable device or app should be able to decrypt.

Baen & Tor are used since I have purchased ebooks from both on Amazon and both specify that the books are supplied without DRM in the book description. In one discussion about that with Amazon support, I was told that delivering a KFX ebook with no DRM is not possible. Which seemed rather odd since you can remove DRM from a KFX file and use it without issue on your apps and devices.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

The former post somewhat convinces me that Amazon is doing these to further lock users into the Kindle ecosystem.

Almost certainly.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by gforgiraffe39935

Has anyone purchased an eBook on Kindle from a publisher that doesn't use DRM? They should provide the DRM-free file like Kobo, Ebooks dot com, or the publisher's own website. I try not to buy from DRM-having publishers, anyway, but this got me interested. They are turning into B&N. Maybe it'll work for them.

Originally Posted by DNSB

If the ebook is delivered by Amazon in mobi or KF8/azw3 format, DRM free books from Baen and Tor are delivered without DRM—at least, they were the last time I tested. If they are delivered in KFX format, they are delivered with a generic KFX encryption which any Amazon KFX-capable device or app should be able to decrypt ...

Put another way: if a book has generic KFX encryption/DRM, you can use it on any Kindle device, yours or someone else's, without restriction. So practically speaking, it is "DRM-free" within the Amazon eco-system. But if you want to edit it or convert it to another format (so you can take out of the Amazon eco-system), then it is most definitely not DRM-free.

[gforgiraffe39935]

Originally Posted by DNSB

If the ebook is delivered by Amazon in mobi or KF8/azw3 format, DRM free books from Baen and Tor are delivered without DRM—at least, they were the last time I tested. If they are delivered in KFX format, they are delivered with a generic KFX encryption which any Amazon KFX-capable device or app should be able to decrypt.

Baen & Tor are used since I have purchased ebooks from both on Amazon and both specify that the books are supplied without DRM in the book description. In one discussion about that with Amazon support, I was told that delivering a KFX ebook with no DRM is not possible. Which seemed rather odd since you can remove DRM from a KFX file and use it without issue on your apps and devices.

Thanks for confirming with details. I buy from Tor authors all the time, just through Kobo mostly nowadays, I just wondered.

Originally Posted by odamizu

Put another way: if a book has generic KFX encryption/DRM, you can use it on any Kindle device, yours or someone else's, without restriction. So practically speaking, it is "DRM-free" within the Amazon eco-system. But if you want to convert it to another format or edit it, you will need to remove the DRM.

DRM-free within the Amazon eco-system is such a sad state. I would buy them from Kobo and send them to my Amazon account before purchasing from Amazon, if it were me.