Amazon to allow downloads of DRM free books - Page 10

Frogm4n · 01-21-2026, 07:44 PM

Between this morning and this afternoon I finally had downloads become available. So far it's only been Tor published books and an old public domain book. All were published at least a few years ago or more, so Tor has certainly been working through their catalog on Amazon to enable it, or they worked with Amazon to have the old "DRM-free" flag apply to this.

DNSB · 01-21-2026, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_vandragon

I get epub on Firefox on Windows 11. Also of my 10 books I think all of them are also in Kindle Unlimited (which is why I was forced to buy them from the kindle store in the first place)

KU loan books would not have the download option. Just checked Amazon's Digital Rights Management page and it says:

Quote:

Customers who borrowed your books through Kindle Unlimited or other services can't download the EPUB/PDF files, even if the books are DRM-free.

I bounced a query off Amazon Canada and their response was the same KU loans are not going to have downloads. OTOH, If you buy a DRM-free book, you will get the download option even if it is in KU.

el_vandragon · 01-21-2026, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

KU loan books would not have the download option. Just checked Amazon's Digital Rights Management page and it says:

I bounced a query off Amazon Canada and their response was the same KU loans are not going to have downloads. OTOH, If you buy a DRM-free book, you will get the download option even if it is in KU.

Correct, I was just mentioning that they are also part of the KU system. I have never used KU, I always purchase my books. That was why I mentioned I was forced to buy them from the Kindle store (due to the KU exclusivity clauses).

DNSB · 01-21-2026, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_vandragon

Correct, I was just mentioning that they are also part of the KU system. I have never used KU, I always purchase my books. That was why I mentioned I was forced to buy them from the Kindle store (due to the KU exclusivity clauses).

I thought that was what you meant but also though I could clarify that KU loans will not have the downloads option.

Sirtel · 01-21-2026, 11:14 PM

Anybody noticed any embedded fonts in those downloaded epubs? I suspect they get deleted, but I have too few downloadable ebooks at the moment to be certain.

If all embedded fonts (including those used in titles etc.) are indeed removed, that's not good.

DNSB · 01-22-2026, 12:54 AM

The ones I downloaded did not have any embedded fonts.

el_vandragon · 01-22-2026, 01:13 AM

Same, none of the ones I downloaded had embedded fonts, but I am not sure if they ever did. 5 from a series, 4 from another series, and then 2 individual books checked.

Sirtel · 01-22-2026, 02:12 AM

I found one book that had an embedded font in the copy I'd imported to calibre when I bought it, but the newly downloaded epub didn't have the font. The rest of my books with downloads didn't have any embedded fonts either in the original calibre copy or in the epub.

rantanplan · 01-22-2026, 04:08 AM

I first thought it hadn't been rolled out to Germany yet but there are a few books available for download for me. I guess a lot of Tor titles just haven't been updated yet.

I wish there was a filter for downloadable books. Maybe there's a Greasemonkey script out there?

jonathan2022 · 01-22-2026, 04:34 AM

Was curios if the Mac users have been getting the epub downloads.As Mac kindle for users were hit hardest when they could no longer use kindle for Mac for downloads. Besides using a kindle to remove drm on a mac

jonathan2022 · 01-22-2026, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I found one book that had an embedded font in the copy I'd imported to calibre when I bought it, but the newly downloaded epub didn't have the font. The rest of my books with downloads didn't have any embedded fonts either in the original calibre copy or in the epub.

I see you have Kobo Readers. Did they load alright on them ? (the epub downloads)

Sirtel · 01-22-2026, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathan2022

I see you have Kobo Readers. Did they load alright on them ? (the epub downloads)

I haven't actually tried to load them on my Kobos yet.

JSWolf · 01-22-2026, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FourOhFour

I wonder if the zip vs epub thing is a browser issue, 'cause using Safari I'm getting epubs (and a pdf for some reason).

Install Firefox. You may then get ePub. I'm using Firefox on Windows and I'm getting ePub.

Sirtel · 01-22-2026, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Install Firefox. You may then get ePub. I'm using Firefox on Windows and I'm getting ePub.

I can confirm that using Chromium-based browsers on Windows will get you a zip file (I use Thorium). Still, renaming it to epub is easy enough.

JSWolf · 01-22-2026, 05:04 AM

The ePub are rather messy. But they should be easy enough to fix. However, books by James Patterson where there there can be over 100 chapters, will be really annoying to fix the code.

01-22-2026, 02:12 AM	#143
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 14,522 Karma: 245020905 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I found one book that had an embedded font in the copy I'd imported to calibre when I bought it, but the newly downloaded epub didn't have the font. The rest of my books with downloads didn't have any embedded fonts either in the original calibre copy or in the epub. Last edited by Sirtel; 01-22-2026 at 02:14 AM.

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01-21-2026, 07:44 PM	#136
Frogm4n Fanatic Posts: 569 Karma: 4016635 Join Date: Jul 2023 Device: Scribe 2022, OA2, PRS-350	Between this morning and this afternoon I finally had downloads become available. So far it's only been Tor published books and an old public domain book. All were published at least a few years ago or more, so Tor has certainly been working through their catalog on Amazon to enable it, or they worked with Amazon to have the old "DRM-free" flag apply to this.

01-21-2026, 11:14 PM	#140
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 14,522 Karma: 245020905 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Anybody noticed any embedded fonts in those downloaded epubs? I suspect they get deleted, but I have too few downloadable ebooks at the moment to be certain. If all embedded fonts (including those used in titles etc.) are indeed removed, that's not good.

01-22-2026, 12:54 AM	#141
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 49,826 Karma: 176799834 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	The ones I downloaded did not have any embedded fonts.

01-22-2026, 01:13 AM	#142
el_vandragon Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2024 Location: United States Device: Kindle PW3, PW5 SE	Same, none of the ones I downloaded had embedded fonts, but I am not sure if they ever did. 5 from a series, 4 from another series, and then 2 individual books checked.

01-22-2026, 04:08 AM	#144
rantanplan Weirdo Posts: 1,020 Karma: 12502580 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Wuppertal, Germany Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2, reMarkable PaperPro	I first thought it hadn't been rolled out to Germany yet but there are a few books available for download for me. I guess a lot of Tor titles just haven't been updated yet. I wish there was a filter for downloadable books. Maybe there's a Greasemonkey script out there?

01-22-2026, 04:34 AM	#145
jonathan2022 Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 1438844 Join Date: Mar 2022 Device: android	Was curios if the Mac users have been getting the epub downloads.As Mac kindle for users were hit hardest when they could no longer use kindle for Mac for downloads. Besides using a kindle to remove drm on a mac

01-22-2026, 05:04 AM	#150
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 81,793 Karma: 150265991 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The ePub are rather messy. But they should be easy enough to fix. However, books by James Patterson where there there can be over 100 chapters, will be really annoying to fix the code.

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