Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 and KFX in calibre

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

They won't force me to do anything. When they stop supporting old Kindles, I stop buying from them. There are other stores where to buy ebooks. Whether I have a new Kindle or not has nothing to do with this. I won't buy an ebook with unremovable DRM.

Tell your Favorite Authors that they WILL lose your custom if the stick exclusively with Amazon.

Some believe they are loosing Millions of $, thus they need all that security.
In fact, I bet many pirated books are simply being hoarded and not really being read. No readers: is it a real loss of $ ?)

[ownedbycats]

From what I understand, it's not fear of piracy but instead access to Kindle Unlimited being gated behind the KDP Select exclusivity.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by jhowell

You can no longer use older versions of Kindle for PC to download newly published books. And you cannot remove DRM from books downloaded with the latest version. At present the only choice you have for newly published books is to have an actual Kindle device registered to your account, method #3 in the first post of this thread.

So I can actually nuke the Kindle4PC apps, versions 1.17 and 1.26, that I painstakingly set up and tested under Wine because they just don't download ebooks anymore?

Damn.

I have an old Kindle from 2012 (the KPW1). Maybe I'll resurrect it, but the last time I looked, the only way to pay for eBooks at Amazon.com is by credit card; and I don't have one anymore. (I nuked it because I only used it to buy stuff if there was absolutely no other option; and I bought 5 books from Amazon in 12 years. I'm not going to keep a credit card just for that.)

Hopefully ADE 2.01 will be supported indefinitely; or ADE 3.x or later will be DeDRM-able. (Is it? I didn't keep up to be honest...)

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Hopefully ADE 2.01 will be supported indefinitely; or ADE 3.x or later will be DeDRM-able. (Is it? I didn't keep up to be honest...)

As far as I know, the DeDRM plugin will handle Adobe's newer DRM scheme and with the latest update in master, will also remove DRM from media/video files in the epub's ZIP container.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

So I can actually nuke the Kindle4PC apps, versions 1.17 and 1.26, that I painstakingly set up and tested under Wine because they just don't download ebooks anymore?

They still download books published before January 3.

[MrKaon]

I always had a kindle don't know why I bothered with a kindle PC years ago. Anyway rooted my KV and downgraded to 5.11.2, and blocked the OTA, I think I should be OK for DeDRM for now.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by Quoth

They can't block photographing the screen. The unblockable loophole. The fact is that DRM is an annoyance for regular consumers and doesn't stop industrial piracy.

It's trivial to capture streaming video or audio at perfect quality.

It's less trivial for a book. You need to automate page turns. Then record as video , then isolate frames and convert to images, then turn images into a book...

I read a spy story recently where videos was used to steal documents by fast scrolling a screen and video recording it . That was fiction but seemed plausible

[mk14steve]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Defeating DRM has always been more of a lone wolf past time ... It takes someone with a combination of interest, reverse engineering skills, and drive ... There are not many people like that.

I don't disagree with you or the other replies.

I recall all the arguments about DRM and it never being about "pitrating" but about people's freedom to choose - not to be dictated to by big corporations or governments - not unlike all the reasons Phil Zimmerman (and followers) fought for PGP back in the 90's, or the animosity to windows in the early days.

I believed (mistakenly maybe) that the people with those qualities you list, intensely disliked being "defeated" and rose to the challenge for their own satisfaction. A kind of "freedom of expression", a battle of wits or a "stick it to the man" thing.

Now the Bezos's of the world (and at one time it was the Gate's of the world) say "jump" and we all reply, "how high?"

Now we are all happy just to conform?

Who would have thought it? How the world has changed ...

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Quoth

They can't block photographing the screen. The unblockable loophole. The fact is that DRM is an annoyance for regular consumers and doesn't stop industrial piracy.

Boox Tab Ultra is excellent for this.
It has a camera and can OCR (the shot was taken quickly and is poorly aligned)

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by mk14steve

I don't disagree with you or the other replies.

I recall all the arguments about DRM and it never being about "pitrating" but about people's freedom to choose - not to be dictated to by big corporations or governments - not unlike all the reasons Phil Zimmerman (and followers) fought for PGP back in the 90's, or the animosity to windows in the early days.

I believed (mistakenly maybe) that the people with those qualities you list, intensely disliked being "defeated" and rose to the challenge for their own satisfaction. A kind of "freedom of expression", a battle of wits or a "stick it to the man" thing.

Now the Bezos's of the world (and at one time it was the Gate's of the world) say "jump" and we all reply, "how high?"

Now we are all happy just to conform?

Who would have thought it? How the world has changed ...

I'd guess that generation has grown old and younger generations don't care about such things, as they more or less grew up in the world of dictating mega-corporations. All things pass. Perhaps some future generation will care again, some day. But that day seems not to be now, unfortunately.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by stumped

It's less trivial for a book. You need to automate page turns. Then record as video , then isolate frames and convert to images, then turn images into a book...

I read a spy story recently where videos was used to steal documents by fast scrolling a screen and video recording it . That was fiction but seemed plausible

It's been done with a lego device, but you don't need lego. You don't want video. All decent cameras and most decent phones have a remote "shutter" feature. You have something to repeatedly turn page (off the shelf ones exist for BT or touch screens or buttons). A monostable delay ($1 555 timer IC) fires the camera; that has delay for the page refresh which is set to every page. Or use this Cable release https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/product/B01KVE777S. The cable is just contacts that close, so that can also feed the page turning device, which will turn page after each shot is taken.

Then the folder of auto-incremented number images is processed with common OCR tools, though pirates sometimes just made a PDF and even sold it on Google Play Store. Pirate copies were so rife on Google Books that they closed it for new accounts for a while. However the industrial pirates often use a paper copy; cut spine off and use a sheet feeder.

The spy video thing can be done in real life, but it's when you are in a hurry. The post processing back or review back at base is time consuming. You aren't going to be interrupted by security.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I'd guess that generation has grown old and younger generations don't care about such things, as they more or less grew up in the world of dictating mega-corporations. All things pass. Perhaps some future generation will care again, some day. But that day seems not to be now, unfortunately.

When they want to read the book and no-one is selling it and all the copies they find have DRM. The copyright may even have expired.

DRM ultimately is incompatible with copyright law.

[fermin]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Don't turn on WiFi after registered.
Go My Content & Devices. Copy & save your serial number.
Paste it in the plugin downloaded from Git.
Always go My Content & Devices.
Always Download to PC for USB transfer. Any browser that lets you download will work, and can be on Mac, Linux, Windows or Android. Likely iOS too.
Add the the file by right click in filemanger on computer that has Calibre.

It just works. It's simpler than K4PC which hasn't worked here for years. The Basic 2022 is actually very like a PW3.

My Kindle is on the way, should receive it tomorrow.

Just a question: Why should I leave WiFi disabled? To prevent accidental updates? Or does Amazon know that my Kindle actually has an Internet connection and I won't be able to use the download option in my Amazon account?

PS:

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Yes, Amazon has gotten better at creating DRM, but I believe that a larger factor is that there less interest in defeating it nowadays. If Amazon closes the last DRM loopholes that may change.

I have zero interest in seeing anyone defeat KFX DRM. I'd rather have a PDF than a KFX file and I loathe PDFs. When Amazon shuts down any remaining way to get KF8, I'll be done with them. For now, nothing's really changed for me. I'm still using K4PC 1.17. If there's something I eventually want from post 3 Jan that I can't get elsewhere, we'll see what's still working then.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by fermin

Why should I leave WiFi disabled? To prevent accidental updates? Or does Amazon know that my Kindle actually has an Internet connection and I won't be able to use the download option in my Amazon account?

Disable WiFi advantages:
1) Saves battery
2) Avoid unexpected updates. You can't go backwards on a Kindle like you can on a Kobo. See first from chat here in Kindle section if it has any advantage or adds annoying GUI features.
3) If WiFi is on Amazon may deliver content.
4) Privacy. Amazon can't monitor.
5) Local USB transfer of Calibre converted ebooks works better than "Send to Kindle"; Amazon keeps a copy and converts less well.
6) Amazon removes covers of ebooks copied by USB (sideloaded)·

Amazon have promised they won't ever remotely remove books again (was it 1984?) but on at least one occasion remote wiped a Kindle when they close the account.

Not sure if Amazon charges author for all deliveries or only deliveries via WiFi & Mobile/Cell (it's a scam to charge for any deleivery other than Mobile/Cell; Amazon does pay for Mobile/Cell but not for WiFi, that's via your Internet subscription (of any type).)


Disadvantages of WiFi Disabled:
a) You can't use KU. But KU cheats authors by badly paying them. Don't subscribe. Buy outright. You can still buy eBooks also on KU if you don't subscribe.
b) No Sync. Only works for bought books from Amazon anyway and Amazon. Simple to use search on two devices which works on different makes.
c) No auto delivery of content via "Send to Kindle", but that's inferior to sideload/USB.

Also you're going to read on a Meebook/Boyue, Sony, Pocketbook, Kobo, Nook, Boox or Y-Ben or a nicer app than Kindle (Lithium, Pocketbook) on your phone/tablet. The Kindle is just for the serial number and will gather dust in a drawer. No fire risk. That's only caused by forced or faulty charging of lithium cells.

I only use my Kindles to test new ideas of formatting/styles for mobi and azw3 on Kindle. I read epubs on a variety of ereaders other than Kindle.

A good reason to back up all Amazon Content (and remove DRM) is that if Amazon decides you have made too many returns (say you've been unlucky buying gadgets) they will close your account and you ALSO lose access to your so called Cloud library.