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

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

It's still possible if you have an eink Kindle on your account.

Right, for text ebooks, but not for comics or manga, sad to say.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Is that what the OP is doing? Buying books, then returning them after ripping them? I honestly missed them stating that.

Why the fear of banning if they're not returning books?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Why the fear of banning if they're not returning books?

If you're uploading your copies to a shadow library and they trace it back to you (watermarking) I suspect that's another reason to worry...

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

If you're uploading your copies to a shadow library and they trace it back to you (watermarking) I suspect that's another reason to worry...

Yes, but that falls under other authorities, not Amazon any more. The usual cause for banning is excessive returns. I haven't heard of anyone being banned for pirating, only fined.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by maddz

Having never gone into the physical Kindle eco-system, any recommendations? We’re a Mac & Kobo/Android shop, and have an iMac purchased in 2010, an iMac purchased a couple of years ago, a MBP still running 32-bit but is capable of running 64-bit.

My ebook management is currently on the MBP (and the new iMac for Paul). The old iMac isn’t used much now - I really need to configure Parallels properly and install Snow Leopard on the new iMac and transfer the games across, and physically retire it, but that will be a retirement project for me later this year.

Well, if you want to buy Kindle ebooks published after 3 January 2023 and read them on your Kobo/Android, your only option at this time is to buy an eink Kindle. However, it can be an old, used one. jhowell has made some recommendations on best models to buy.

Since you have a Kobo, why not buy from Kobo?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Since you have a Kobo, why not buy from Kobo?

The godammned KDP Select exclusives, I'd assume.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Well, if you want to buy Kindle ebooks published after 3 January 2023 and read them on your Kobo/Android, your only option at this time is to buy an eink Kindle. However, it can be an old, used one. jhowell has made some recommendations on best models to buy.

Since you have a Kobo, why not buy from Kobo?

And other places.

[Jacques Q.]

Hello. I saw there has just been an update for the KFX Input and KFX Output plugins in Calibre. Could it mean that one way or another "help is on the way" and there still are people who are willing to actively fight the "repressive" measures of Amazon ? Or is it just an adjustment to a newer Calibre version ?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Jacques Q.

Hello. I saw there has just been an update for the KFX Input and KFX Output plugins in Calibre. Could it mean that one way or another "help is on the way" and there still are people who are willing to actively fight the "repressive" measures of Amazon ? Or is it just an adjustment to a newer Calibre version ?

These plugins have noting to do with KFX DRM.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Right, for text ebooks, but not for comics or manga, sad to say.

But those can probably still be DeDRMed when downloaded with the latest Kindle for PC/Mac. They aren't usually available in KFX format at all.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Jacques Q.

Hello. I saw there has just been an update for the KFX Input and KFX Output plugins in Calibre. Could it mean that one way or another "help is on the way" and there still are people who are willing to actively fight the "repressive" measures of Amazon ?

It does not mean that at all. I have no inside knowledge of any efforts to thwart Amazon's locking down of access to Kindle book formats. If something new does get released publicly I am sure that we will all hear about it very quickly.

As an aside, it surprises me how many copies of the KFX Input plugin are still being downloaded. It has very limited utility since Amazon broke the original KFX DRM crack in late 2018. Amazon's countering of that by having multiple DRM versions ready for immediate deployment makes it very difficult to work around. I do not expect DRM removal for KFX to ever become possible again as long are there are easier alternatives, such as using an older Kindle to obtain copies of books.

Originally Posted by Jacques Q.

Or is it just an adjustment to a newer Calibre version ?

If you want to see what was changed in those plugin look at the "Version History" section in the first post of each plugin thread. I update them occasionally to keep up with Kindle Previewer and Kindle Create software releases.

[lkmiller]

Some people just think KFX input (and even KFX output) has something to do with getting DeDRM to work. I've often seen issues at GitHub where they have avoided getting KFX, but they still mention that they have the latest KFX plugins. Sometimes they'll install the Obok plugin too when they don't even have kepubs. Just throwing anything remotely related at the problem in the hope something will stick.

[ownedbycats]

I've noticed, on Reddit specifically, incorrect advice sometimes being given about DeDRMing books that sometimes redirects people to the KFX or Obok plugins. I'm often tempted to make an account to correct them...

[thiago.eec]

Originally Posted by jhowell

As an aside, it surprises me how many copies of the KFX Input plugin are still being downloaded. It has very limited utility since Amazon broke the original KFX DRM crack in late 2018. Amazon's countering of that by having multiple DRM versions ready for immediate deployment makes it very difficult to work around. I do not expect DRM removal for KFX to ever become possible again as long are there are easier alternatives, such as using an older Kindle to obtain copies of books.

About that: do you mean books published or downloaded after late 2018?

Maybe the DRM schemes are regional, since I can still download and remove the DRM from KFX books. I bought three books this week, and I was able to have the DRM striped from the KFX version for all of them. Two of those were published before 2018, but one is from 2020.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I've noticed, on Reddit specifically, incorrect advice sometimes being given about DeDRMing books that sometimes redirects people to the KFX or Obok plugins. I'm often tempted to make an account to correct them...

That gets one's blood boiling, now doesn't it...