DRM

MEY · 08-19-2010, 05:17 PM

I have not bought a Kindle yet, but I am going to get one. I am confused about DRM. I know you have to change ebooks from a library to read them on a Kindle. What I don't know is do all ebooks from the library have DRM ? If not how do you know if they do ? I apologize if this is a subject that should not be posted or discussed here.

Ben Thornton · 08-19-2010, 06:28 PM

Welcome to the forum MEY!

Library books need to have DRM on to stop you borrowing them forever. If they are public domain, you don't need to go to a library to get them - you can have your own copy for keeps from lots of places (not least MobileRead!)

Kindle doesn't work well with libraries - others can tell you more because I have no library access from here

JSWolf · 08-19-2010, 06:29 PM

If you want library eBooks and do not want to have to fiddle with DRM, then Kindle is not a good choice, A reader that supports ADE/ePub is your best choice. And to be honest, if you want such, wait until after Sony announces their new readers before you make up your mind.

nremondelli · 08-19-2010, 08:57 PM

I know it is possible to strip Amazon DRM (I am pretty good at it now) but is it possible to buy an eBook from say, Kobo and convert it to the Amazon format?

ATDrake · 08-19-2010, 09:17 PM

Yes, I get books from Kobo every so often. But you will have to get one which comes in ePub format (some Kobo books are only "web" or "mobile") and strip the DRM before converting it.

TomF · 08-19-2010, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEY

I have not bought a Kindle yet, but I am going to get one. I am confused about DRM. I know you have to change ebooks from a library to read them on a Kindle. What I don't know is do all ebooks from the library have DRM?

Have you checked with your local library or whatever library that you intend to borrow e-books from to see what e-books they have available?

Many people find that their library doesn't have the books that they're interested in and they're not interested in any of the e-books that the library does have. I would only consider another reader if borrowing e-books from a library is one of your top 3 priorities, maybe the top 1 or 2. There are lots of other reasons to choose a Kindle besides the ability to read library books.

Sydney's Mom · 08-19-2010, 09:32 PM

Most library books come in either pdf or epub format. They need to be in mobi format before you can read them on a kindle, and you need to remove DRM before you can convert. It isn't difficult, but it isn't legal, either.

catsittingstill · 08-19-2010, 10:31 PM

You can read pdfs on your Kindle. At least, I've been doing it on mine.

It is a bit slower than mobi, and in my opinion not as nice (at the moment you can't search or highlight or annotate or use dictionary lookup in pdfs and I miss it) but it works. Mobi is definitely nicer, but pdf works, even if my Kindle feels kind of lobotomized without the other functions.

FWIW I often turn my K2 to landscape view so it displays half a page at a time. That solves the "you need little teeny eyes for reading little teeny print" problem nicely.

And supposedly the Kindle 3 will allow within-pdf search (but not searching across many pdfs) plus highlighting, annotation and dictionary lookup in pdfs. If it just allowed cross-pdf search I'd be waiting at my doorstep for a new kindle :-)

08-19-2010, 05:17 PM	#1
MEY Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle	DRM I have not bought a Kindle yet, but I am going to get one. I am confused about DRM. I know you have to change ebooks from a library to read them on a Kindle. What I don't know is do all ebooks from the library have DRM ? If not how do you know if they do ? I apologize if this is a subject that should not be posted or discussed here.

08-19-2010, 08:57 PM	#4
nremondelli Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 52 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: none	Buying eBooks from other places I know it is possible to strip Amazon DRM (I am pretty good at it now) but is it possible to buy an eBook from say, Kobo and convert it to the Amazon format?

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08-19-2010, 06:28 PM	#2
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	Welcome to the forum MEY! Library books need to have DRM on to stop you borrowing them forever. If they are public domain, you don't need to go to a library to get them - you can have your own copy for keeps from lots of places (not least MobileRead!) Kindle doesn't work well with libraries - others can tell you more because I have no library access from here

08-19-2010, 06:29 PM	#3
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,758 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If you want library eBooks and do not want to have to fiddle with DRM, then Kindle is not a good choice, A reader that supports ADE/ePub is your best choice. And to be honest, if you want such, wait until after Sony announces their new readers before you make up your mind.

08-19-2010, 09:17 PM	#5
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Yes, I get books from Kobo every so often. But you will have to get one which comes in ePub format (some Kobo books are only "web" or "mobile") and strip the DRM before converting it.

08-19-2010, 09:32 PM	#7
Sydney's Mom Wizard Posts: 2,899 Karma: 6995721 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Idaho, on the side of a mountain Device: Kindle Oasis, Fire 3d Gen and 5th Gen and Samsung Tab S	Most library books come in either pdf or epub format. They need to be in mobi format before you can read them on a kindle, and you need to remove DRM before you can convert. It isn't difficult, but it isn't legal, either.

08-19-2010, 10:31 PM	#8
catsittingstill Guru Posts: 643 Karma: 551634 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle 1.0.8, iPod Touch, Kindle Keyboard	You can read pdfs on your Kindle. At least, I've been doing it on mine. It is a bit slower than mobi, and in my opinion not as nice (at the moment you can't search or highlight or annotate or use dictionary lookup in pdfs and I miss it) but it works. Mobi is definitely nicer, but pdf works, even if my Kindle feels kind of lobotomized without the other functions. FWIW I often turn my K2 to landscape view so it displays half a page at a time. That solves the "you need little teeny eyes for reading little teeny print" problem nicely. And supposedly the Kindle 3 will allow within-pdf search (but not searching across many pdfs) plus highlighting, annotation and dictionary lookup in pdfs. If it just allowed cross-pdf search I'd be waiting at my doorstep for a new kindle :-)

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