Who Really Owns Your E-Books? Switching from Kindle to Kobo

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

My own approach is that I'm aware of the terms of "ownership" and adjust the amount I am willing to pay accordingly.

I accept the restrictions in exchange for a big discount, basically.

Of course, the price isn't up to me, but generally speaking I can wait for a sale if I'm not happy with it. There are other books. And I already own (or "own") hundreds of them.

For me, DRM is unacceptable even if the book is free. Any DRM on any ebook I buy must be cleaned immediately, no matter the price. Watermarks can stay (local books here use them).

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For me, DRM is unacceptable even if the book is free. Any DRM on any ebook I buy must be cleaned immediately, no matter the price. Watermarks can stay (local books here use them).

I take it you don't read library books?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

I take it you don't read library books?

No, I don't. For several reasons, which I'm not going to list at the moment.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I believe the Bluestacks method still works, but tbh I would not count on that.

My solution is to avoid Kindle entirely.

I will avoid Amazon eBooks completely when I cannot either use D&T or my Kindle Touch to get eBooks that I can remove the DRM from.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I will avoid Amazon eBooks completely when I cannot either use D&T or my Kindle Touch to get eBooks that I can remove the DRM from.

I will avoid them when DRM can no longer be removed by any means. I don't much care what means can be used, as long as they exist. If DRM becomes completely unremovable, I won't buy Kindle books anymore.

I do use other stores (Kobo, Google Play, Smashwords), but there are a few books only available at Amazon, as most of us well know. Not that I've got to buy just those books, but as they can still be deDRMed at the moment, why not.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

If DRM becomes completely unremovable, I won't buy Kindle books anymore.

My stance too.

[cellaris]

My case is similar, albeit with some variation. I buy my e-books almost exclusively from alternative bookstores to Amazon and then send them to my Kindle devices. The few books I buy from Amazon I read directly on my Kindle devices. I don't bother to remove DRM. If there was an e-book that I was interested in buying because it was not available elsewhere, I would still buy it and read it on them. The alternative would be not buying it and not being able to read it. I don't see that as a reasonable option, given that I can read it on a Kindle. It would be a different matter if I didn't have a Kindle device.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by cellaris

My case is similar, albeit with some variation. I buy my e-books almost exclusively from alternative bookstores to Amazon and then send them to my Kindle devices. The few books I buy from Amazon I read directly on my Kindle devices. I don't bother to remove DRM. If there was an e-book that I was interested in buying because it was not available elsewhere, I would still buy it and read it on them. The alternative would be not buying it and not being able to read it. I don't see that as a reasonable option, given that I can read it on a Kindle. It would be a different matter if I didn't have a Kindle device.

For me it wouldn't matter if I had a device to read it on or not. I'm not going to buy anything with DRM that cannot be removed. I want to adjust formatting and make a personal backup, neither of which can be done with DRM intact.

And not buying/reading a book at all... easily. I already have far more unread books in my library than I could read in several lifetimes. So for me it makes no sense at all to buy a book with an unremovable DRM.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by cellaris

The few books I buy from Amazon I read directly on my Kindle devices. I don't bother to remove DRM.

Back in the days of Mobipocket I got intensely frustrated by DRM (having to download again for new devices, etc.), and resolved never to buy a book with DRM that I couldn't remove. The demise of various ebook stores over the years has only increased my resolve.

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For me it wouldn't matter if I had a device to read it on or not. I'm not going to buy anything with DRM that cannot be removed. I want to adjust formatting and make a personal backup, neither of which can be done with DRM intact.

And not buying/reading a book at all... easily. I already have far more unread books in my library than I could read in several lifetimes. So for me it makes no sense at all to buy a book with an unremovable DRM.

But that's an issue that has more to do with DRM removal tools than with Amazon. As you say, we are talking about the future, not something that will happen now. If in the future you were unable to remove DRM from ebooks bought from Kobo, Google or your favourite bookstore, would you stop buying them there? Your logical answer is yes, but that's something no one is considering right now. Amazon, on the other hand, is always under fire for something that hasn't happened yet.

In any case, what differentiates me from your position is that I would still buy ebooks from Kobo, Google or my favourite bookstore even if I couldn't remove the DRM because I have devices to read them, which is what I'm interested in doing. (In fact that's what I do when I download an ebook from my public library, although here it's not a question of "ownership", but of not being able to read it on certain e-readers or with certain reading software unless I remove the DRM). The option of going back to printed books is not one I contemplate.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by cellaris

But that's an issue that has more to do with DRM removal tools than with Amazon. As you say, we are talking about the future, not something that will happen now. If in the future you were unable to remove DRM from ebooks bought from Kobo, Google or your favourite bookstore, would you stop buying them there? Your logical answer is yes, but that's something no one is considering right now. Amazon, on the other hand, is always under fire for something that hasn't happened yet.

I have considered it, in fact. And no, I wouldn't buy from them either in that case.

(In fact that's what I do when I download an ebook from my public library, although here it's not a question of "ownership", but of not being able to read it on certain e-readers or with certain reading software unless I remove the DRM).

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I don't read library books.

The option of going back to printed books is not one I contemplate.

Well, I wouldn't have to go back to paper books, even if I stopped buying anything today. As I said, my TBR list is already several kilometers long (and those are books already purchased, disinfected and backed up).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cellaris

But that's an issue that has more to do with DRM removal tools than with Amazon. As you say, we are talking about the future, not something that will happen now. If in the future you were unable to remove DRM from ebooks bought from Kobo, Google or your favourite bookstore, would you stop buying them there? Your logical answer is yes, but that's something no one is considering right now. Amazon, on the other hand, is always under fire for something that hasn't happened yet.

In any case, what differentiates me from your position is that I would still buy ebooks from Kobo, Google or my favourite bookstore even if I couldn't remove the DRM because I have devices to read them, which is what I'm interested in doing. (In fact that's what I do when I download an ebook from my public library, although here it's not a question of "ownership", but of not being able to read it on certain e-readers or with certain reading software unless I remove the DRM). The option of going back to printed books is not one I contemplate.

We are see what Amazon is doing. They are changing the DRM for KFX in the Kindle apps. They've monkeyed with the DRM for KFX before. They are not allowing D&T for new Kindles. The question is what will Amazon do in the future? We don't know.

We are just saying what we'd do IF.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

We are see what Amazon is doing. They are changing the DRM for KFX in the Kindle apps. They've monkeyed with the DRM for KFX before. They are not allowing D&T for new Kindles. The question is what will Amazon do in the future? We don't know.

We are just saying what we'd do IF.

The normal cycle is new DRM is introduced, the DRM gets defeated.

For me, if I can't conveniently remove the DRM I will move on to the next book, unless it is a must have book, or an occasional pleasure purchase. For example, if I needed a book for school or work where the DRM couldn't be removed, I would purchase it. I would splurge on a Stephen King book, and pass on a John Grisham book. I'm not going to cut off my nose to spite my face.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I will avoid them when DRM can no longer be removed by any means. I don't much care what means can be used, as long as they exist. If DRM becomes completely unremovable, I won't buy Kindle books anymore.

I do use other stores (Kobo, Google Play, Smashwords), but there are a few books only available at Amazon, as most of us well know. Not that I've got to buy just those books, but as they can still be deDRMed at the moment, why not.

I stopped buying from Books A Million because they stopped allowing me to download books to the device of my choice and I would do the same with Amazon. I too have a large TBR and am now considered old by the younger generations. I could stop buying and still have plenty to read in my lifespan. And because I like to reread books, I have even more books to choose from. I am currently rereading a four-book series now.
Apache

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

We are see what Amazon is doing. They are changing the DRM for KFX in the Kindle apps. They've monkeyed with the DRM for KFX before. They are not allowing D&T for new Kindles. The question is what will Amazon do in the future? We don't know.

We are just saying what we'd do IF.

What I don't quite understand is where your concern leads.

Can't you already buy e-books from places other than Amazon and read them on whatever brand device you prefer, including Kindle? That's what I do. And that's regardless of what changes Amazon makes regarding DRM.

The only e-books (if they put obstacles in the way of DRM removal) that you wouldn't be able to read on other devices would be the ones that Amazon has exclusivity on. And you have two options: either you read them on their devices or you don't read them at all (because you won't be able to buy them elsewhere and you won't be able to remove the DRM). But this last option that you all repeat ("if I can't remove the DRM I won't buy books from Amazon again") doesn't provide any solution to the problem you are so worried about. What you are proposing is simply to give up reading certain e-books on an e-reader. Which is fine as a personal decision, as long as you are clear that it doesn't solve the problem.