Amazon to allow downloads of DRM free books

[JSWolf]

The problem (unless it's changed), is that the book listings do not show if they are available to download as ePub before you purchase. If the eBook is new enough and you know it's DRM free like from Tor, then you'll know it's downloadable.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The problem (unless it's changed), is that the book listings do not show if they are available to download as ePub before you purchase. If the eBook is new enough and you know it's DRM free like from Tor, then you'll know it's downloadable.

But it could still be a pdf. Blah!

[pdurrant]

I'm still going to be buying from Kobo whenever possible. And when it's not possible I shall have to think very hard about whether I want to rent the book.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm still going to be buying from Kobo whenever possible. And when it's not possible I shall have to think very hard about whether I want to rent the book.

Yes, Kobo for me too, even if it is supposed to be DRM-free. A Kindle exclusive will have to be something really special for me to risk whatever download option there might be for DRM-free or dealing with the increasingly slim possibilties for DRM removal if not.

[JBaby]

There isn’t any book that will be special enough for me to buy it from Amazon. I will continue to purchase books with DRM from Kobo and Google Play.

[MegDreamsofBooks]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Yes, Kobo for me too, even if it is supposed to be DRM-free. A Kindle exclusive will have to be something really special for me to risk whatever download option there might be for DRM-free or dealing with the increasingly slim possibilties for DRM removal if not.

I've switched the majority of my purchases to Kobo or (even better) direct from authors via their newsletter links and web stores. But a few remain Kindle-only, for those I'll only be reading via KU now unless I know they provide their purchased books in downloadable epub. Luckily so far at least two of my 4-5 authors that I would still buy from Amazon are doing this, 1 is definitely not so I guess I won't be buying their books any longer.

[Darqref]

Does anyone know if, when an author or publisher chooses to switch a book to allow epub downloads, if it applies to already purchased copies of the book or only to newly purchased copies.

in other words, if I buy a book now, and three months from now the author sets it to epub download, will my copy allow it?

any experience?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Darqref

Does anyone know if, when an author or publisher chooses to switch a book to allow epub downloads, if it applies to already purchased copies of the book or only to newly purchased copies.

in other words, if I buy a book now, and three months from now the author sets it to epub download, will my copy allow it?

any experience?

Yes, you should be able to download an epub later, if the edition remains the same. People have had the download option appear for previously purchased books.

If there is a new edition with a different ISBN, then you won't get the download option for your older edition.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Or simply tell Chrome you want to select the location of each download (in Chrome's download settings) and then change the filename (including the extension) to whatever you want before downloading. Since one knows they're downloading an epub beforehand, how hard is to change an extension before begining the download? Or just rename it after downloading. No need for drastic browser switches.

I ran into this problem today and I was dreading the thought of installing another browser. I followed your instructions and got my EPUBs.

[frostymug]

Why in the world would Amazon host files on their servers for download that cannot be read on a Amazon (Kindle) device?

[slm]

Originally Posted by frostymug

Why in the world would Amazon host files on their servers for download that cannot be read on a Amazon (Kindle) device?

From the comments earlier in the thread about the resulting epub's structure, its pretty clear that Amazon does not host the epub issued by the publisher but instead uses its own conversion software to create an epub.

At a guess, they do this each time a user requests an epub download, rather than keeping the epub on their server.

[frostymug]

Originally Posted by slm

From the comments earlier in the thread about the resulting epub's structure, its pretty clear that Amazon does not host the epub issued by the publisher but instead uses its own conversion software to create an epub.

At a guess, they do this each time a user requests an epub download, rather than keeping the epub on their server.

Thank you for clarifying that.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by frostymug

Why in the world would Amazon host files on their servers for download that cannot be read on a Amazon (Kindle) device?

Because of contractual obligations that some ebooks are to be sold drm-free.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by frostymug

Why in the world would Amazon host files on their servers for download that cannot be read on a Amazon (Kindle) device?

Might be that is the format the publisher or author provided to Amazon.

Some sites provide epub downloads that are specifically for a Kindle, that can be differently named to the Kobo version.

Somebook.epub

Somebook.kindle.epub

The Send To Kindle option uses epubs now, has for a while.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

But it could still be a pdf. Blah!

I've gotten a good number of ebooks from Amazon using their download option, and all have been zip files, that proved to be epubs.

I'm yet to see a PDF.

Has anyone here gotten a PDF file instead? And what kind of ebook was that, if so?

I tend to see PDF files as more image/graphic related ebooks ... comic, magazine, etc.