Is it easy to remove DRM protection?

[abookreader]

I would suggest you install Calibre

Then install Kindle for PC
Then install Adobe Digital Editions

Then Google "Apprentice Alf Blog" and look for the information you need on the Calibre Plug-Ins - Which is now I believe at V2.2. There is a readMe.txt document for each plug-in giving the instructions.

Then you can purchase a couple of low cost or DRM'd free books and decide for yourself how easy you think it is without having to buy your digital eReader yet.

[speedlever]

It appears to me that ALF is to Apple as I Love Cabbages is to the PC.

IAC, visit Cabbages blog on circumventing DRM and search for maelcum's post in the comments where he/she refers to a manual put together for the PC version.

Sounds like we have more than one way to skin the cat.

Use the hints to find the scripts, etc. or use a plug-in for Calibre. (I've not seen this plug-in yet and haven't looked for it). If it was mentioned in the ALF blog, I didn't see it.

[DiapDealer]

i have to make decision between Kobo and Kindle based on your conclusion

It's a bad idea to base your purchase decision on this criteria alone. First off... the degree of "difficulty" will vary based on your knowledge. No one else's opinion will take your knowledge of basic computer skills into account.

Secondly, there is no difference in difficulty between "doing the deed" with Kindle ebooks or Kobo ebooks. If you can do one... you can do the other.

So make your decision based on other relevant criteria: screen clarity, availability of library books, price, functionality... etc. But by all means, download the tools (and K4PC and/or ADE and/or Nook4PC) and "try before you buy" as others have so intelligently suggested.

[jbcohen]

I did something rather stupid a while back, I am ashamed to admit, I had just gotten my aluratek and not realizing that I could not use Barns and Nobles I bought an ebook from them and was unable to use it because of the DRM. Now I am thinking of investing in some DRM removal tools so that I can remove the DRM and get the value that I paid for. Its not like I intend to break the law, I simply want what I paid for. I have found a few software packages that will acomplish this for me at a minimal cost.

[curstpriest]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

1) Depends on what type it is. B&N/eReader=easiest. iBooks=can't be done.

2) Sometimes, as .mobi format is … somewhat more lacking in the display department than epub. Also, KindleGen can introduce some really weird and annoying formatting errors, though Calibre might do better.

3) No. Dictionary, highlighting, text-to-speech etc. all work just the same.

Hope this helps.

Sorry, any DRM can be removed - usually with a simple script/program
When this can't be done the reader itself is hacked and the book is read from memory in its unencrypted state (usually not neccessary)
Or if all else fails, OCR can be done via screen capture (sloppy)

Oh and another thing, removing the DRM is likely illegal in many countries or violates some TOS. I may be wrong but if this is the case, regardless of your intent, it may be the same as just downloading the unprotected book from some random file sharing site (which is much easier to do and will take even less time to accomplish...) - from a legal standpoint anyways.

[erictoma]

Originally Posted by curstpriest

Or if all else fails, OCR can be done via screen capture (sloppy)

So that means removing the protection cannot be successful at times?
imagine buying a 15 $ eBook a not being able to read it !

[jbcohen]

I did just that, although for $10. I'm fuming here.

[abookreader]

Well, honestly I don't know anybody (other than JBCohen I guess) who has bought an eBook and hasn't been able to read it at all.

Even without liberating DRM you can nearly always read over your computer with either the retailer software installed (Kindle for PC etc) or Adobe Digital Editions or MobiReader ...

The only format I know that you can't do that is Apple iBooks and you can't buy from Apple iBooks unless you have an iDevice like an iPhone or iPAD.

The difficulty is in getting the book you want on the device you want.

[erictoma]

Originally Posted by abookreader

Even without liberating DRM you can nearly always read over your computer with either the retailer software installed (Kindle for PC etc) or Adobe Digital Editions or MobiReader ...

What a nightmare imagine investing more 320 dollars in kindle and still reading meBook on the pc because Kindle gadgets are stubborn!

and the 320 dollars ?

[speedlever]

Originally Posted by erictoma

What a nightmare imagine investing more 320 dollars in kindle and still reading meBook on the pc because Kindle gadgets are stubborn!

and the 320 dollars ?

Better not try to play that Blu-Ray disc in your HD-DVD player. You might not get the results you expect.

[montalex]

Just to make one thing clear. Sony readers, Nook readers, Kobo Readers, Kindle readers all have this issue. It is not a device specific issue, it is a DRM issue. The only way to implement DRM is to make protected books that only open on a specific device. As has been mentioned ad nauseum, circumventing DRM is easy. If you are squeamish about removing DRM, then you must accept that you can only read DRM protected books designated for your device of choice. It is nice that readers which read epub can work with many libraries which prefer epub format. Of course Kindle doesn't, for the present, natively read epub. Again, no big deal to install Duokan or JBReader on your Kindle to read non-DRMed epub, but it is hardly worth the trouble, as it is so simple to convert non-DRMed epub to mobi, .

I chose a Kindle because Amazon has very good cost and selection of titles, and because it has free 3G. But whatever device you choose, you are not locked in to one store, unless you choose to be. My prediction? Amazon will eventually update their firmware to enable epub reading.

[abookreader]

Originally Posted by erictoma

What a nightmare imagine investing more 320 dollars in kindle and still reading meBook on the pc because Kindle gadgets are stubborn!

and the 320 dollars ?

erictoma I'm really not sure what you are getting at here but you are quickly starting to seem like one of the posters who only show up here wanting to fight about whether one gadget is better or worse than another.

Really - there are very few people here that are so emotionally invested in their eReaders that they are going to weep tears if you don't buy a Kindle.

So choose one, realize what the DRM does and how you might have to either accept the DRM/file type limitations or work around them ... and then go enjoy yourself. If you want an ePub reader, then go buy one. Buy a tablet that can read them all. By something, install Kindle for PC, and then in those rare instances when Amazon has your "important non celebrity biography book" and another retailer doesn't ... buy it and remove the DRM and put it on your preferred device.

Do whatever it is you need to do so you will enjoy your books. Honestly. We'll.Be.Happy.For.You

[curstpriest]

My advice is, if you have a book you bought and you can't remove the drm (almost never happens as like 99% of drms are easily removable), just find the book without drm elsewhere and download it without drm as if you would be doing so illegally. As I said, it's basically the same thing.

OK you bought the book -> you removed the drm -> you have book without drm

or

OK you bought the book -> you failed to remove DRM -> you download book without drm -> you have the book without drm

SAME START SAME END? what's the difference here?

I could see people getting worried about:

You didn't buy the book -> you download book without drm -> you have the book without drm

People are going to do whatever they want in the end. The same holds true for music. I mean honestly, I can't think of a single person I know or have ever met who has never made use of illegally downloaded music (knowingly, or unknowingly, as a gift or whatever). So.. do whatever you feel is morally right I guess?

[speedlever]

Originally Posted by curstpriest

My advice is, if you have a book you bought and you can't remove the drm (almost never happens as like 99% of drms are easily removable), just find the book without drm elsewhere and download it without drm as if you would be doing so illegally. As I said, it's basically the same thing.

snip

Can you provide an example of a link to a DRM book and a link to a non-DRM book? How do you differentiate them?

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by Leep

As Diapdealer states, for B&N, you only insert your cc number once on your own computer in Calibre as a drm removal reference, since this is how B&N ties the book to your account.

Does the software keep the CC # in the program or is it just used long enough to generate a key and then not stored anyplace?

Thanks,
Carol