Amazon and DRM changes

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jonathan2022

I thought it might be something like that too. But didn't know files got that big. It would Also be the reason how they could support new versions. But whatever they come up with . It will be a cat and mouse game with amazon. End result being any program becomes to expensive with amount of support needed. Or it dies off. Also possibility of them being sued ir blocked in usa. Positive is it could push for drm free like it did with music industry . That's the best case scenario. Wasn't sure what I could describe in my reply without being in trouble for a possible drm explanation. Also only have basic knowledge compared to some

OCR can't be defeated by DRM. You have to be able to read the text easily.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

DeDRM had support for LCP 1.0. Now there is a newer LCP that DeDRM cannot remove. So what Epubor has is something different.

Anyone confirmed they have later LCP? Maybe they manage to automate this method.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Supposedly the Epubor team has figured out how to break LCP DRM but that's on subscription.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

DeDRM had support for LCP 1.0. Now there is a newer LCP that DeDRM cannot remove. So what Epubor has is something different.

LCP DRM removal was included in DeDRM but removed after a DMCA notice. Other people forked that version and also worked out LCP 2.0. I'm pretty sure Epubor will have taken the code from a fork that includes LCP 2.0 support.

[ownedbycats]

The forks didn't get DMCA'd?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

The forks didn't get DMCA'd?

I found this. I don't know if these work.

https://repo.or.cz/DeDRM_tools-LCP.git
https://www.ebook-converter.com/270-...p-lcpl-drm.htm
https://github.com/abustany/lcp-decrypt

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Another possibility is that they are using K4PC to display the page on a virtual monitor and doing a screen cap of each page, sending it to their servers for OCR and then sending the results back as text/whatever to be converted back to whatever output format they may be using.

This statement from their description page makes that unlikely to me:

Will DRM removal affect the quality or structure of my eBook?

Not at all. BookFab safely removes DRM restrictions without altering the original quality, layout, or formatting of the eBook content.

Using OCR would significantly affect all of those attributes.


One other thing I noticed in their description today:

With just one click, this best eBook Converter for Kindle transforms your KFX files into the universally supported EPUB format.

If I recall correctly that previously said MOBI, not KFX. Perhaps another clue?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jhowell

…

Using OCR would significantly affect all of those attributes.

…

Without a lot of manual labour. Indeed OCR without proofing isn't great.

[pypeke]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yes. Old versions of K4PC won't download books published after April 22.

Thanks. I wish Kobo had my favorite authors. I check about once a month. Goodby Amazon...I have never owned a Kindle.

[xyzzy_foo]

I recently signed up for DVDFab's newsletter, and from their latest one, I managed to figure out the URL for the BookFab Kindle Converter announcement email. Here's the English version (it's available in several languages):
https://c.dvdfab.cn/newsletters/20250507/en.html

From this email, it also looks like they're preparing a separate product for Rakuten Kobo called BookFab Kobo Converter.

[xyzzy_foo]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

LCP DRM removal was included in DeDRM but removed after a DMCA notice. Other people forked that version and also worked out LCP 2.0. I'm pretty sure Epubor will have taken the code from a fork that includes LCP 2.0 support.

Epubor claims to support LCP DRM 2.5, but I'm wondering if there's really a significant difference between LCP DRM 2.0 and LCP DRM 2.5.

Also, DeDRM doesn't have a valid license, which means that implementing its code in proprietary apps wouldn't lead to any license violations (since it's not copyleft).

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

Also, DeDRM doesn't have a valid license, which means that implementing its code in proprietary apps wouldn't lead to any license violations (since it's not copyleft).

You're right DeDRM doesn't have an open source licence attached to it, and so use of it can't be a licence violation.

But without an open source licence, all the code is copyright the original authors, and any use of it without permission is a copyright violation.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

Epubor claims to support LCP DRM 2.5, but I'm wondering if there's really a significant difference between LCP DRM 2.0 and LCP DRM 2.5.

Also, DeDRM doesn't have a valid license, which means that implementing its code in proprietary apps wouldn't lead to any license violations (since it's not copyleft).

My guess is that LCP 2.0 was broken and they created 2.5 to overcome that. Just like Amazon has done with KFX.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

Also, DeDRM doesn't have a valid license, which means that implementing its code in proprietary apps wouldn't lead to any license violations (since it's not copyleft).

Irrelevant. It's still copyright, and so called copyleft is simply copyright where the copyright holder gives up some rights. Copyright works can be free. The GPL, Apache, BSD and CC "licenses" etc are just predefined copyright relaxations by the rights holder.

When a work is created it's automatically copyright. No need for USA registration either. Ultimately works are either copyright or public domain. A rights holder can put a disclaimer that it can be copied, or can be copied but not commercialised, or can be copied, but not changed, or can be copied, commercialised or changed.

A PD work can can copied, changed, commercialised etc. The Project Gutenberg Licence is really fiction.

However a work derived from PD is copyright in terms of layout and any additions or changes are copyright. A work distributed from copyright work with rights relaxed by the holder can't change the original holder's reserved rights and can only be derived work if the original rights holder allows.

Epubor up till now seem to be parasites.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

From this email, it also looks like they're preparing a separate product for Rakuten Kobo called BookFab Kobo Converter.

Each seperate, I assume. Twice the money they make.

I half suspect the reason it needs internet is to check the program isn't being pirated itself.

[xyzzy_foo]

Well, it looks like BookFab Kindle Converter was released sometime before 10 PM JST on May 12th. I've seen a few reports from people in Japanese communities who bought it, and I actually just picked it up myself a little while ago.

Here's a quick rundown of its features:
- It works fine with K4PC version 2.3.0 (70673), allowing you to download books released after April 22nd.
- All downloaded books are sourced as KFX, and the resulting files are similar to what KFX Input produces.
- I don't own any print replica books, so I haven't been able to test that.
- Being an early version, the app is a little unstable. It hasn't crashed on me, but I did have to fiddle around a bit to get the first download working. Once it starts downloading, though, it seems to stabilize.

So, this has led me to a decision: I'm going to stop buying any new content on Kindle from now on and switch over to Rakuten Kobo. I just can't stand these KFX-based EPUBs.

Sometime soon, I plan to bulk download my entire existing library using the final version of K4PC 2.3.0 (70673)—the one that can still grab most Japanese Kindle books as KF8 (AZW3) and AZW6. For anything that still comes down as KFX, I'll use the Kindle for Android BlueStacks method as a workaround. I already have a bulk download from a D&T-based method, but it's not complete because it doesn't include AZW6 files.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, it's a real shame because Rakuten Kobo doesn't offer a Price Match Guarantee in Japan, whereas Amazon Kindle is usually the most willing to match competitors' prices. Also, Rakuten Group doesn't seem too keen on selling Kobo eReaders in Japan anymore; their non-color devices, for instance, haven't seen any discounts lately. Despite all this, I've still made up my mind to get a Kobo Sage next month.