.acsm files?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Nook perhaps. Some old devices using ADE need the file copied to a particular location.

But certainly you can download an Amazon Kindle file to PC instead of direct to device, add it to Calibre without removing DRM (no deDRM plugin) and Send to Device via USB. But only works, of course, for the Kindle you picked on the Amazon download page if the file has DRM.

Modern Kindles also. Can't get DRMed books off them in Calibre. You'll have to use the USB transfer option.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For many of the people in these forums, removing DRM is important. OTOH, the DeDRM plugin will attempt to work on any ebook imported to calibre regardless of the source. Would you care to claim that calibre's entire raison d'être was removing DRM? That ADE's purpose was removing DRM? The K4PC/K4Mac's purpose is removing DRM?

With that in mind, I have to ask what does the ACSM plugin do that can't be done by using ADE to download the books and then importing them to calibre? Other than making it possible on systems where ADE is not an option for most people and saving steps in the process.

Even a quick perusal of the ACSM plugin code will show that it does not have any DRM removal code in it.

I already said I know it has no deDRM code. But in the very first comments by its creator both here and on GitHub the deDRM plugin working together with the deACSM plugin was mentioned. By this I gather that DRM removal was certainly considered important when creating the plugin.

Yes, it basically does what ADE does. But is deDRMing mentioned anywhere in the ADE instructions? Nope. It is certainly mentioned in the deACSM plugin threads. The intent was there.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Some encrypted books are stored in a protected storage (on the device) not accessible or even visible to Calibre.

This reminds me of an issue I had with my Nook (years ago when I was still using that device).

B&N removed the ability to "download to PC" from their website. I believe they were trying to further tie customers into their infrastructure. So I thought, "No problem, I'll just go download copies of my purchased books from my Nook". But that was a no-go. Connect the Nook to a computer and it refused to display the books on the device. I believe they must have been using "MTP mode" of the USB connection. As opposed to "USB Mass Storage mode". With MTP mode the device can choose what to display to the computer it is connected to, and what to hide. And B&N had chosen to hide the books on the Nook.

The solution was to copy all books from internal Nook memory onto the SD card installed in the Nook. Then you pull that SD card out of the Nook and connect it to your computer using a standard card reader (the Nook is out of the picture at this point). Once connected this way, the computer could see the books on that SD card and then copy them.

It was at this point that I said "screw B&N" and bought a Kindle.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by haertig

This reminds me of an issue I had with my Nook (years ago when I was still using that device).

B&N removed the ability to "download to PC" from their website. I believe they were trying to further tie customers into their infrastructure.

but that kind of anti-consumer behaviour is why I will never buy from Barnes & Noble. If a book is exclusive there... well, I didn't need that book anyways.

[mattrix]

I know it [deACSM] doesn't remove DRM by itself. But helping with removing the DRM was its main purpose

As I understand it, deACSM does not remove ACSM.
The ACSM file is a token that can be exchanged for a book, and deACSM just fetches the book for you.

I don't know if the .ascm token is tied to me? my adobe id? Or if I could I gift it to someone else to fulfill? My shop ID and adobe ID are the same email address, but I don't know if the shop or Adobe knows that?

DNSB said,

I do have some encrypted books in my calibre library where for ethical reasons (it's not a book I purchased for the most part), I do not wish to remove the DRM.

suggesting he was able to fulfill an acsm token purchased by someone else??

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by mattrix

I don't know if the .ascm token is tied to me? my adobe id? Or if I could I gift it to someone else to fulfill? My shop ID and adobe ID are the same email address, but I don't know if the shop or Adobe knows that?

DNSB said,


suggesting he was able to fulfill an acsm token purchased by someone else??

Or they're library loans.

Your Adobe ID is tied to your Adobe account. The store knows nothing about it. So, in theory, you should be able to gift an ACSM file. But I've never tried it, so can't confirm it works.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For many of the people in these forums, removing DRM is important. OTOH, the DeDRM plugin will attempt to work on any ebook imported to calibre regardless of the source. Would you care to claim that calibre's entire raison d'être was removing DRM? That ADE's purpose was removing DRM? The K4PC/K4Mac's purpose is removing DRM?

I have to call BS on that. The primary purpose of ADE, K4PC, and K4Mac is reading e-books. That they are also used to obtain books for DRM removal is unintended and undesired by their creators.

On the other hand use of the ACSM plugin does not result in a readable book unless DRM removal is performed. As for calibre I suspect that a major reason for its success is that it can host a DRM removal plugin.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by mattrix

DNSB said,

suggesting he was able to fulfill an acsm token purchased by someone else??

Really? Where the expletive deleted do you read that in what I wrote? I have made it fairly clear in past that I routinely remove DRM from ebooks that I have purchased but do not remove DRM from ebook loans whether from the library or elsewhere. An ebook purchased by someone else and gifted to me does not qualify as a loan since, AFAIK, an .acsm file can only be fulfilled by one Adobe ID.

I have copied library books with DRM into calibre in a few cases when I wanted to look at parts of the book structure.or edit the content.opf file (one of the few files along with container.xml, encryption.xml and rights.xml that do not seem to get encrypted by ACS).

[mattrix]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Really? Where the expletive deleted do you read that in what I wrote? I have made it fairly clear in past that I routinely remove DRM from ebooks that I have purchased but do not remove DRM from ebook loans whether from the library or elsewhere. An ebook purchased by someone else and gifted to me does not qualify as a loan since, AFAIK, an .acsm file can only be fulfilled by one Adobe ID.

I have copied library books with DRM into calibre in a few cases when I wanted to look at parts of the book structure.or edit the content.opf file (one of the few files along with container.xml, encryption.xml and rights.xml that do not seem to get encrypted by ACS).

I apologise. My bad.
It is my lack of experience that led me to conclude that.
I read somewhere that you cannot remove DRM from library books.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by mattrix

I apologise. My bad.
It is my lack of experience that led me to conclude that.
I read somewhere that you cannot remove DRM from library books.

That was (is??) with Kindle format library loans where the Apprentice's DRM removal code has special case logic for them. Oddly, Amazon did not carry that flag over to Kindle Unlimited loans. Adobe DRM does not distinguish library loans from book purchases in the encryption of the ebook. While the .acsm file has the type and expiry information, the DeDRM plugin does not have easy access to that information.

Sadly, I never got to test whether you could remove DRM from Kindle library loans since Canadian libraries only have epub/pdf loans.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Sadly, I never got to test whether you could remove DRM from Kindle library loans since Canadian libraries only have epub/pdf loans.

I don't know if it's changed since the fork, but I believe DeDRM deliberately chose not to implement it for Kindle Unlimited and the like. (I have a vague memory of seeing a github issue about this end with one of the devs telling the bug-reporter to support the author and buy the damned book.)

[Quoth]

Yes, if you want to keep a copy, back it up, or read on another device then buy the book. I'd not remove DRM from library/subscription/KU ebooks nor make copies/backups of them.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Yes, if you want to keep a copy, back it up, or read on another device then buy the book. I'd not remove DRM from library/subscription/KU ebooks nor make copies/backups of them.

↑ ↑ ↑

Exactly. you don't own it so you don't remove DRM.

[CathyA]

Originally Posted by mattrix

As I understand it, deACSM does not remove ACSM.
The ACSM file is a token that can be exchanged for a book, and deACSM just fetches the book for you.

I don't know if the .ascm token is tied to me? my adobe id? Or if I could I gift it to someone else to fulfill? My shop ID and adobe ID are the same email address, but I don't know if the shop or Adobe knows that?

The ACSM token represents a book licensed to one Adobe user. Anybody with a valid Adobe ID can open the initial ACSM file with ADE or an equivalent program, such as the ACSM plugin in Calibre, and download the ePub book. After the initial ePub download, the ACSM can only be opened again by someone using the same Adobe ID.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The DeACSM plugin was written because ADE can sometimes be a real pain to deal with under Linux.

Originally Posted by Sirtel

It was written to help with DRM removal. That's what it's supposed to do. If you don't want to remove the DRM, you'll have no need for it or Calibre. Calibre can't help you with handling encrypted books, it has never been meant for that.

That might be what is often used for, but I think the real purpose of DeASCM is to replace Adobe Digital Editions. For example, in Linux, I can borrow a library book, disable DeDRM in Calibre, use Calibre to download the encrypted ePub. Then I move that encrypted ePub to my Nook Glowlight 3, which decrypts it. That way I can read borrowed books on my Nook without having to "liberate" books I don't own.