Amazon and DRM changes

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Magoop

Please pardon my cluelessness, I wanted a clarification made

Say my library lends out ebooks using Amazon so they can be sent directly to a Kindle (or really any device you have registered on your Amazon account), but these are not usually Kindle Unlimited books.

From what I understand I need to do something to the Calibre Plug-in for DeDRM in order for the needed meta-data from the Kindle book to be removed.

(or possibly use another program that I may have to pay for?)

I am able to get the files of the book myself using an old version of K4PC, as well as using my Kindle Paperwhites.

Would this be the same process as if I were using Calibre to remove DRM from a Kindle Unlimited book? Or am I completely misunderstanding?

I am able to follow things on here pretty well. I managed to get a stable jailbreak on my old Paperwhite. I think my wires got crossed from trying to parse old/outdated reddit posts. So I am sorry if this is a bit muddled.


Thank you very much for any help

Detailed help with DRM removal is not permitted at MobileRead. I suggest asking at NoDRM's github pages.

I agree that the line between discussion of DRM changes, and help with DRM removal is a fine one, but we try to make the distinction.

[Magoop]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Detailed help with DRM removal is not permitted at MobileRead. I suggest asking at NoDRM's github pages.

I agree that the line between discussion of DRM changes, and help with DRM removal is a fine one, but we try to make the distinction.

Thank you, I appreciate the direction

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Hardboiled

It was my assumption that download and transfer would make available the latest format consistent with the device, tied to the device serial, i.e. if the book in question has enhanced typography, Wordwise etc. and your device is a recent generation, you will get the KFX file, which will give you the full functionality of the book. If you have an older device, that would be KF8, without those enhancements.

That's not true, as things stand now. You'll get KF8 or mobi, even if your target device is the newest Kindle. Only direct downloads to a device or app deliver KFX.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by Hardboiled

Is this actually true? What happens if you have an older device, such as my K3? Is such as book then unavailable for wireless transfer, as well?

If a book is only available in the latest KFX format, then it is only available for direct download to devices/apps that can handle that (regardless of pub date). And it isn't available at all for download and transfer. There are relatively few books which fall into this category.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Hardboiled

It was my assumption that download and transfer would make available the latest format consistent with the device, tied to the device serial, i.e. if the book in question has enhanced typography, Wordwise etc. and your device is a recent generation, you will get the KFX file...

I have a Kindle Paperwhite 3 running 5.15 or whatever the latest firmware is, clearly able to read KFX, and when I've tried download and transfer, I get azw files.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hardboiled

Is this actually true? What happens if you have an older device, such as my K3? Is such as book then unavailable for wireless transfer, as well? I'm not doubting you, it's just that I haven't seen something explicit in this regard from Amazon. It was my assumption that download and transfer would make available the latest format consistent with the device, tied to the device serial, i.e. if the book in question has enhanced typography, Wordwise etc. and your device is a recent generation, you will get the KFX file, which will give you the full functionality of the book. If you have an older device, that would be KF8, without those enhancements.

I suspect that there is a misunderstanding here.

Download & Transfer is not wireless transfer. It is downloading a copy of a book to a PC with the intent of transferring it to a Kindle device via a USB cable. That method of obtaining a book does not support KFX format with its newer DRM.

Wireless transfer from Amazon's servers directly to a Kindle device or app can also be initiated at amazon.com using the Deliver or Remove from Device button. That is available for more categories of books than Download & Transfer allows but it comes with the potential for delivery in a format that contains unbroken DRM with newer devices/apps.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Hardboiled

It was my assumption that download and transfer would make available the latest format consistent with the device, tied to the device serial, i.e. if the book in question has enhanced typography, Wordwise etc. and your device is a recent generation, you will get the KFX file, which will give you the full functionality of the book. If you have an older device, that would be KF8, without those enhancements.

I have had no trouble so far this far with any book, this year, and all have been available for download and transfer too but then I have not bought a specific 23 release, with those enhanced features so far yet, either.

So far download and transfer for USB transfer to a PW4 and PW5 gives a KF8 file. To get KFX, I have to download directly from Amazon to the device.

I suspect that jhowell is correct in that this is due to Amazon not having access to the KFX decryption key on the device when using the D&T via USB mechanism.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I suspect that jhowell is correct in that this is due to Amazon not having access to the KFX decryption key on the device when using the D&T via USB mechanism.

I don't believe that the reason why KFX is unavailable for Download & Transfer is technical. Amazon could make it work if they wanted to.

I think that Amazon's long term plan is to eventually discontinue Download & Transfer and it would have been counterproductive for them to add support for KFX when they can use the lack of KFX support as a reason to block D&T as more books become available in only KFX format.

I can't prove this but Amazon's chipping away at D&T availability points in that direction.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Magoop

I am able to get the files of the book myself using an old version of K4PC, as well as using my Kindle Paperwhites.

If you borrow an eBook published in 2023+, you won't be able to download it using an older version of K4PC. You would need the current version. And that means you'd get KFX.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I don't believe that the reason why KFX is unavailable for Download & Transfer is technical. Amazon could make it work if they wanted to.

I think that Amazon's long term plan is to eventually discontinue Download & Transfer and it would have been counterproductive for them to add support for KFX when they can use the lack of KFX support as a reason to block D&T as more books become available in only KFX format.

I can't prove this but Amazon's chipping away at D&T availability points in that direction.

I think your post is entirely correct. I am not arguing facts or opinions. But:

Aren't books uploaded to Amazon as ePub in the first place? Whatever the format is, the publisher isn't uploading a KFX, so there's no reason for a book to only be available in KFX except that Amazon says so.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Aren't books uploaded to Amazon as ePub in the first place? Whatever the format is, the publisher isn't uploading a KFX, so there's no reason for a book to only be available in KFX except that Amazon says so.

As far as I can tell there are two categories of book that are currently available in only KFX format from Amazon.

The first are books that use features that do not work well or at all in the current KF8 (azw3) format renderer. KF8 has been essentially frozen since it was first introduced in 2011. It does a poor job with books in Arabic and a few other languages so those books are KFX only.

The second category are books that are KFX only and also use a different (stronger?) version of KFX DRM than regular books. These are apparently only available this way due to a deal between Amazon and the publisher. Books in this category include expensive textbooks published by Pearson and many English language books published in India.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I'm trying to figure out where to buy new issues of comics. Amazon ate ComiXology and then killed K4PC downloads for newly published stuff.

Amazon likely killed digital comics, not through malice, but through ineptitude and not bothering to care about what to them is small potatoes.

Honestly, I don't even understand why Amazon got involved with ComiXology in the first place.

I’ve switched over to Kobo for reading comics. They look great on my Elipsa, and I can back them up, too. It’s a shame because all the series are split between the platforms now. I used to do all my manga shopping for Kindle. Manga looked great on the Kindle app for the iPad.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Cootey

I’ve switched over to Kobo for reading comics. They look great on my Elipsa, and I can back them up, too. It’s a shame because all the series are split between the platforms now. I used to do all my manga shopping for Kindle. Manga looked great on the Kindle app for the iPad.

Kobo doesn't have comics. I'm talking about the monthly 20-ish page comic.

I'm specifically looking for Red Room, the third and final series of which is about to start.

Checking Kobo, they don't seem to have much if anything published by Fantagraphics. No Love and Rockets, no Hate, no Complete Peanuts, no Hip Hop Family Tree, no Barry Windsor-Smith's Monsters.

And I don't see myself jumping through the Android deDRM hoops.

I'll email Fantagraphics and ask what the deal with their crummy digital distribution is. They're a legendary indie. They shouldn't rely on Amazon.

[Quoth]

Amazon bought Comixology. Shame.

[markweaster]

I have been building my personal eLibrary for decades and have over 4000 volumes. My Kindle goes literally everywhere with me; since retiring nine years ago, I am never ever without it. Most of these books have come from the library, but many have come from book sellers including many from Amazon. It is only for my personal use. I have never given a copy of a book to anyone. I only strip off the DRM so I can keep them in my Calibre library "forever" to reread, for reference, and to collect my reviews. So, I am bummed by this latest Amazon change that prevents me from continuing a practice I have had most of my adult life. My question for the community is, is this inability temporary or should I stop buying books from Amazon forever? Thank you for any advice you can offer. My Kindle Unlimited renewal awaits your input.