Amazon to allow downloads of DRM free books

[lkmiller]

You also don't know if you'll get a pdf instead of epub until you actually try to download. Blah!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

You also don't know if you'll get a pdf instead of epub until you actually try to download. Blah!

So far it's mostly ePub. But your correct, you could get struck with PDF.

[madelonw]

I have tried to download what I assume to be PDF copies of various books. It takes a while for the PDF document to download as a browser page. When I try to save the file, I get the following:

ebook-
contentDTP_ long file name of letters and numbers.xml

Couldn't download - no permissions.

There is an option to edit with Acrobat where I get the sales pitch to subscribe to the software. Also, an option to sign in. The sales pitch page has no sign in option. So, I went through the exercise of downloading and installing Adobe Acrobat Reader plus updating my Adobe password.

Any idea where the permission comes from?

[rantanplan]

I didn't have any of the problems with pdfs that you're describing. I could just press control + S to save them.

[lkmiller]

No issues with pdfs for me either. Just clicked the download button after it opened in my browser.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

No issues with pdfs for me either. Just clicked the download button after it opened in my browser.

Which browser?

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Which browser?

I assume this question is for madelonw.

[gbm]

This was posted on the Baen's Bar Forum in response to a question about the Baen back-list on Amazon.

We have always selected the "no DRM" option from Amazon and will hope they will honor that on new titles. Unfortunately, it is cost prohibitive for us to remove the DRM they imposed on older titles. We do remind you that when you buy from baen.com instead there is no DRM.



Regards,

David

Baen Books Web Team

bernie

P.S.


If you talk to Amazon C.S. about the epub downloads refer to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus...s_Warranty_Act

• A "warrantor" is any supplier or other person who gives or offers a written warranty or who has some obligation under an implied warranty.[4]
  
• A "written warranty" (also called an express warranty) is any written promise made in connection with the sale of a consumer product by a supplier to a consumer that relates to the material and/or workmanship and that affirms that the product is defect-free or will meet a certain standard of performance over a specified time.

[lkmiller]

Annoying that Amazon makes it so they would have to reset all the older titles. Clearly Baen knew what they were doing when they originally set them as DRM-free.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Annoying that Amazon makes it so they would have to reset all the older titles. Clearly Baen knew what they were doing when they originally set them as DRM-free.

So did Tor. An older Tor eBook in my Amazon library is downloadable as ePub.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So did Tor. An older Tor eBook in my Amazon library is downloadable as ePub.

Yes, the older Tor books I checked had epub or pdf downloads too. Apparently Tor did flip the switch on their older titles, but Baen has decided it is "cost prohibitive". Neither one should have to.

[gbm]

Just a reminder that the people that upload Baen Books to Amazon are the same people who run an ebook store with thousands of titles.

bernie

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So did Tor. An older Tor eBook in my Amazon library is downloadable as ePub.

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Yes, the older Tor books I checked had epub or pdf downloads too. Apparently Tor did flip the switch on their older titles, but Baen has decided it is "cost prohibitive". Neither one should have to.

[JSWolf]

IMHO, it's best to by BAEN eBooks from BEAN, Kobo, or eBooks.com so you'll get a DRM free ePub. With Tor and Star Trek eBooks, buy from Kobo or eBooks.com.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

BAEN eBooks from BEAN

Never heard of Bean Books

[rpresser]

Originally Posted by jhowell

From Digital Rights Management on Amazon KDP:

This is in effect now, of course. And Amazon helpfully adds "Download available in additional formats" to the listing when you're viewing your Content Library page. I created (with some help from Gemini) this CSS snippet to easily see which books can be downloaded while you scan through your Content library:

For use with the Stylus extension or another userstyles manager:

@-moz-document url-prefix("https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/digital-console/contentlist/") {
/* Targets the specific 'information_row' that is a direct child of the details container */
/* This skips the rows nested inside other spans (like the Devices row) */
div.digital_entity_details > div.information_row:not([id]) {
    background-color: #e7f3ff !important;
    border-left: 5px solid #007185 !important;
    padding: 8px 12px !important;
    margin-top: 10px !important;
    display: block !important;
    border-radius: 4px;
    width: fit-content;
}

/* Specifically bold and color the text for high scanning speed */
div.digital_entity_details > div.information_row:not([id]) > span {
    color: #b12704 !important;
    font-weight: bold !important;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    font-size: 0.85em;
    letter-spacing: 0.5px;
}
}

The result looks like this:
https://i.imgur.com/K8O0Kii.png