How library e-books expire

[orangeblood]

Hi gang, new member here.

If library e-books are converted by Calibre and transferred to a Kindle, how does the expiration stuff work? I'm unsure if these books 1) would be able to open at all on a Kindle, 2) would open and never expire, or 3) would open and expire as intended.

I looked around for my answer, but couldn't find it. I gather there are some things we can't discuss here, but these seemed OK.

Thanks!

[just_jeepin]

All the library stuff have DRM and Calibre won't convert them. If you want to check-out library ebooks stick with Sony or Nook.

[ATDrake]

If they're ePubs or PDFs that've been stripped of DRM and converted, they don't expire and you'll have to delete them yourself when you're done.

If they're Mobipocket versions that have had the script for fixing that format used on them, then they expire at the end of the set library loan period and you'll get an error message on the Kindle if you try to open them after the X days. But otherwise they'll read just fine, although sometimes the metadata will be messed up and the title will look really weird in your Home listings.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by just_jeepin

All the library stuff have DRM and Calibre won't convert them. If you want to check-out library ebooks stick with Sony or Nook.

I'm afraid your second sentence doesn't necessarily follow your first. It is true that Calibre will not remove DRM. However, Calibre can convert the books after you remove DRM with the appropriate script. Sony and Nook are not the only way to read library ebooks. Even if you didn't want to strip or convert books, there are other devices that support Adobe Digital Editions.

[orangeblood]

Originally Posted by Alisa

It is true that Calibre will not remove DRM. However, Calibre can convert the books after you remove DRM with the appropriate script.

And does this process generally work well (i.e., it's not a process that often yields crappy results or is frustratingly difficult)?

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by orangeblood

And does this process generally work well (i.e., it's not a process that often yields crappy results or is frustratingly difficult)?

It's easy and the results with ePub conversion are excellent. PDF conversion is legible but can look wonky. I haven't tried a non-converted PDF with the native viewer yet. I'll do that when my Kindle 3 shows up. Luckily all the new books my library is adding are ePub.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by orangeblood

And does this process generally work well (i.e., it's not a process that often yields crappy results or is frustratingly difficult)?

Epubs are converted beautifully. I have not had good luck with pdfs. I was converting them with mobipocket pro, but now I will just load them on as is.

[Shohreh]

I downloaded an epub from the Net. After reading it for a few days, it simply disappeared from my ereader. I guess it no longer had DRM but kept an expiry date.

Is there a Windows utility that shows if/when an Epub book might be auto-removed from an ereader?

Thank you.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Shohreh

I downloaded an epub from the Net. After reading it for a few days, it simply disappeared from my ereader. I guess it no longer had DRM but kept an expiry date.

Is there a Windows utility that shows if/when an Epub book might be auto-removed from an ereader?

Thank you.

I think you are ascribing to clever software what is more easily attributed to user error.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Shohreh

I downloaded an epub from the Net. After reading it for a few days, it simply disappeared from my ereader. I guess it no longer had DRM but kept an expiry date.

Is there a Windows utility that shows if/when an Epub book might be auto-removed from an ereader?

Thank you.

Yes, the utility is called Adobe Digital Editions.

You will know if a book has DRM, because if it does, then only the authorized user can read it.
If you downloaded it "from the internet", then chances are you did not download it through Adobe Digital Editions or some other authorization channel for Adobe DRM.


Question: is this a commercially sold book or a freely-available Public Domain/Creative Commons book?

If it is a PD/CC book, then as pdurrant said, you probably did something wrong.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by orangeblood

Hi gang, new member here.

If library e-books are converted by Calibre and transferred to a Kindle, how does the expiration stuff work?

I'm assuming here that you are talking about epub or pdf library books protected by Adobe DRM. If this is the case Calibre will import the books but will not remove the DRM. You will not be able to read or convert these books in Calibre because of the DRM. And even some of the main tools for removing DRM are coded deliberately so as not to work on library books.

Originally Posted by orangeblood

I'm unsure if these books

1) would be able to open at all on a Kindle,

They would not. You would be stuck with a DRM protected EPub. E-Ink Kindles do not support EPubs, with or without DRM.

Originally Posted by orangeblood

2) would open and never expire,

If you were able to successfully remove the DRM and convert to .azw3 or .mobi, this would be the case. You would effectively have the ebook with no expiry date. However, the consensus here amongst many seems to be that it is morally acceptable to remove DRM from an EBook you have purchased, but not from a book you have borrowed.

Originally Posted by orangeblood

or 3) would open and expire as intended.

It is the DRM which enforces the restrictions, including expiry date. If the DRM is removed the "loan" will not expire.

[Shohreh]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

You will know if a book has DRM, because if it does, then only the authorized user can read it.

In this case, it doesn't look like it since I downloaded through P2P. So I guess the DRM was removed.

However, today, it just disappeared from my ereader. That's why I was wondering if an ebook could have its DRM removed while still keeping some kind of "remove by date" info.

I'll investigate. Thank you.

[eschwartz]

Moderator Notice

Confirmation of what I suspected all along...

MobileRead does not condone ebook theft, see our Posting Guidelines item #8.

Downloading ebooks through P2P might be Public Domain or Creative Commons books, but probably aren't; the fact that you think "the DRM was removed" from that P2P download, guarantees you are talking about a commercially copyrighted, and thus STOLEN, ebook.

Further discussion about and/or tacit or explicit approval of blatant theft, is highly likely to get you permanently banned by the Site Administrators.

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