A MORE secure Calibre

vweb_calibre · 03-10-2020, 03:22 PM

Is there any development underway to use calibre to make the e-book MORE secure? For example, in the Windows environment, or an SELinux environment, the OS could be locked down while calibre was running. Such a lockdown would prevent screenshots and the starting of any debuggers such as IDA Pro. If done in conjunction with some new extension to a popular e-book format, such as epub, the extended epub format would be a good protector of the books IP.

JSWolf · 03-10-2020, 03:56 PM

Why? Why?

DNSB · 03-10-2020, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vweb_calibre

Is there any development underway to use calibre to make the e-book MORE secure? For example, in the Windows environment, or an SELinux environment, the OS could be locked down while calibre was running. Such a lockdown would prevent screenshots and the starting of any debuggers such as IDA Pro. If done in conjunction with some new extension to a popular e-book format, such as epub, the extended epub format would be a good protector of the books IP.

I'm tempted to ask why that would be desirable? The source code of calibre is available so protecting it from debugging tools is more than a bit silly. I also tend to use quite a few screenshots of calibre when attempting to explain problems.

Given that that was your first post, you might not have noticed as yet that some of the most popular uses for calibre involve format shifting and DRM removal. If some corporation wants to protect their IP by keeping me from being able to backup my purchased content, bad cess to them. I would certainly hope that Kovid Goyal does not decide that is a desirable direction to take calibre's development.

MarjaE · 03-10-2020, 07:08 PM

To keep people from reading the books we've bought, of course, or transferring them to our e-readers, or making them searchable. /s

ownedbycats · 03-10-2020, 07:46 PM

I would stop using Calibre if it locked down the rest of the OS while I was using it.

kovidgoyal · 03-10-2020, 10:55 PM

No, DRM is snake oil and calibre is not going to help sell that snake oil.

Quoth · 03-11-2020, 06:01 AM

Courts and lawyers defend IP of creators and publishers. DRM never has, that's PR, DRM is really to control the authorised user's experience. It's actually immoral and doesn't stop commercial piracy of anything.

DNSB · 03-11-2020, 04:19 PM

Why do I keep getting the feeling that the OP's message was troll bait?

Quoth · 03-11-2020, 04:30 PM

Um, I should have read the post count and saved typing. Arrgh! More wasted electrons and time!

JSWolf · 03-11-2020, 09:06 PM

I have reported the OP's post as spam.

03-10-2020, 03:22 PM	#1
vweb_calibre Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2020 Device: windows 10	A MORE secure Calibre Is there any development underway to use calibre to make the e-book MORE secure? For example, in the Windows environment, or an SELinux environment, the OS could be locked down while calibre was running. Such a lockdown would prevent screenshots and the starting of any debuggers such as IDA Pro. If done in conjunction with some new extension to a popular e-book format, such as epub, the extended epub format would be a good protector of the books IP.

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03-10-2020, 03:56 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,784 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Why? Why?

03-10-2020, 07:08 PM	#4
MarjaE Guru Posts: 942 Karma: 53902736 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: multiple	To keep people from reading the books we've bought, of course, or transferring them to our e-readers, or making them searchable. /s

03-10-2020, 07:46 PM	#5
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 11,360 Karma: 79528341 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	I would stop using Calibre if it locked down the rest of the OS while I was using it.

03-10-2020, 10:55 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,609 Karma: 28549044 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	No, DRM is snake oil and calibre is not going to help sell that snake oil.

03-11-2020, 06:01 AM	#7
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,008 Karma: 111111255 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Courts and lawyers defend IP of creators and publishers. DRM never has, that's PR, DRM is really to control the authorised user's experience. It's actually immoral and doesn't stop commercial piracy of anything.

03-11-2020, 04:19 PM	#8
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 48,175 Karma: 174315444 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Why do I keep getting the feeling that the OP's message was troll bait?

03-11-2020, 04:30 PM	#9
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,008 Karma: 111111255 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Um, I should have read the post count and saved typing. Arrgh! More wasted electrons and time!

03-11-2020, 09:06 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,784 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I have reported the OP's post as spam.