Amazon and DRM changes

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

II assume that can be done with KFX Output plugin. Not something I'm at all interested in though so I don't know for sure.

Only if you have the appropriate Amazon program installed, which doesn't work on Linux.

The azw3 looks more like epub. The azw3 files could look the same as the KFX, it's only the rendering, not the file.
The azw3 files can be edited. KFX can't.
Amazon azw3 can be DRM-free if the publisher/author asks, but never KFX.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

If you prefer KFX format, but you've bought books elsewhere or want to edit them.

Right. But I was replying to post #1500(!) that said:

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

...I will keep removing the DRM from my purchases, so I can convert them to the, *drumroll*, evil KFX format...

If the majority of Amazn supplied books are KFX, why would you remove the DRM, convert to KFX and send back to the Kindle? Maybe I misunderstood something. But there was no mention of it being books from vendors other than Amazon and given the title of this thread and the comment this post was a response too... confusion.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by haertig

You pay the same amount of money to Amazon for a KU subscription whether you read the books you rent on a Kindle or a Kobo. Is this not correct? The same goes for using Download and Transfer and side loading a KU book to your Kindle that is permanently in airplane mode (you can no longer do this with the recent Amazon changes, but you certainly could for many years).

So how is the customer cheating authors of their payment? If anything, someone may argue the point that Amazon is cheating the authors (but evidently with the authors permission - via the contract the probably signed with Amazon). How do you make the argument that the customer is the one doing the cheating? The customer has paid all required money to Amazon. In advance. Amazon is the one who made the decision to not give the authors their share of the money collected in some circumstances. And the authors have accepted this by willingly going under contract (whatever the legal definition is) with Amazon. What logic or legal principle are you using to say the customer is cheating?

I agree that the authors may not be getting paid. But that is not the issue. The issue is whether the customer is the cause of this, or the contract between Amazon/author is the cause of this. I say, "It is not the customer". And I base what I say on the fact that the customer has already paid the required money for their KU subscription. Ethically, part of that payment should go to the authors. If it doesn't, that's not the customers fault.

When you sign up for Kindle Unlimited, you're paying Amazon to borrow books. When you remove the DRM or in the case where you used to be able to download & transfer to a Kindle that's permanently in airplane mode, you're not borrowing.

The current way that Amazon pays the authors resulted from previous methods getting gamed.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Right. But I was replying to post #1500(!) that said:


If the majority of Amazn supplied books are KFX, why would you remove the DRM, convert to KFX and send back to the Kindle? Maybe I misunderstood something. But there was no mention of it being books from vendors other than Amazon and given the title of this thread and the comment this post was a response too... confusion.

If you wanted to edit them or just to have as backup.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Right. But I was replying to post #1500(!) that said:


If the majority of Amazn supplied books are KFX, why would you remove the DRM, convert to KFX and send back to the Kindle? Maybe I misunderstood something. But there was no mention of it being books from vendors other than Amazon and given the title of this thread and the comment this post was a response too... confusion.

Possibly they have the device offline? Download & transfer would then give you azw3, not KFX.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Right. But I was replying to post #1500(!) that said:


If the majority of Amazn supplied books are KFX, why would you remove the DRM, convert to KFX and send back to the Kindle? Maybe I misunderstood something. But there was no mention of it being books from vendors other than Amazon and given the title of this thread and the comment this post was a response too... confusion.

Oh, it doesn't matter from where. The books from Amazon I still get in a way that DRM can be removed, which is not KFX. So after I have the DRM removed and book edited if needed, then last step is to convert finished book to KFX for reading. Unlike Amazon's KFX, the one you convert yourself hasno DRM at all, not even the universal one, I think.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Depends whether you value those features. And KFX has disadvantages AZW3 has not - like the FONT_RAMP not working with it.

Personally I preferred AZW3 when I used a Kindle. Font_ramp was vastly more important to me than enhanced typesetting, and I hate hyphenation.

Ah, yes, no fontramp. And I like hyphenation. You do AzW3, I do KFX.

[Ma'am-I-Am]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I cannot get the Kindle Touch registered. Looks like Android is the only way for now to get new KU eBooks that can have the DRM removed.

So K4A+Bluestacks works to get KU deDRMed? Is that what you're saying?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I cannot get the Kindle Touch registered. Looks like Android is the only way for now to get new KU eBooks that can have the DRM removed.

But people should only remove DRM from bought outright books (doesn't matter if the book is in KU) and then any recent eink works via Download on Content & Devices.

No-one should be removing DRM from borrowed books.

[Patitapetit]

Originally Posted by Quoth

But people should only remove DRM from bought outright books (doesn't matter if the book is in KU) and then any recent eink works via Download on Content & Devices.

No-one should be removing DRM from borrowed books.

Please let people decide.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Patitapetit

Please let people decide.

He was simply stating his opinion.

[Patitapetit]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

He was simply stating his opinion.

Hello
I know but in almost all his posts he tells the same and the people come this forum with their ideas quite definited.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Oh, it doesn't matter from where. The books from Amazon I still get in a way that DRM can be removed, which is not KFX. So after I have the DRM removed and book edited if needed, then last step is to convert finished book to KFX for reading. Unlike Amazon's KFX, the one you convert yourself hasno DRM at all, not even the universal one, I think.

Gotcha. If I had a Kindle, I'd likely do the same. I was just wondering.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

He was simply stating his opinion.

Agreed 100%. I am a big fan of people being allowed to have different opinions without being chastised for it. But I admit, that is often times difficult on this forum. I think that is because most everyone here is of higher intelligence than the average person. It kind of goes with that territory to be strongly opinionated and confident of oneself.

[DNSB]

For what it is worth, I tend to agree with Quoth. I happily remove DRM from books I have purchased and then convert formats, edit and make backups. I do not remove DRM from library books, Kobo Plus, Kindle Unlimited or Kindle Prime books since they are loans, i.e. I can't kid myself that I own them. YMMV but that's where I stand.

This leaves Kindle owners outside the USA with a dilemma since I am not aware of another country where Kindle format ebooks are available as public library loans. Epub, PDF and some specialized apps aren't much use in the Amazon ecosystem.