Who Really Owns Your E-Books? Switching from Kindle to Kobo

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by issybird

Not that long ago I finally got around to retrieving a handful of Kindle books from an ancient moribund account. I downloaded an older version of Kindle for PC to my Windows 11 computer, added the relevant plugin to Calibre, downloaded the books and put them in Calibre. Done. It was a trivial process. I did figure I had better do it while I still could -- but I wouldn't have been brokenhearted if I'd let it go too long, either.

This method only works with books purchased before 2023.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

This method only works with books purchased before 2023.

True. I’d forgotten that aspect. Obviously didn’t apply in the case of my ancient moribund account.

[Frogm4n]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Note Amazon claims on the web page when you buy an ebook "You own this" and eventually copyright expires. Also T&C are not always legally enforceable, or economically enforceable.

That's not what I see on Amazon USA's page for a book:

By clicking the above button, you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

Following their link to the Terms:

Kindle Content is licensed, not sold, to you by the Content Provider.

Among many other statements.

[Cactus Chef]

I think it's unfortunate that people tend to conflate owning a Kobo with the whole "liberating your ebooks" thing. There's nothing stopping you from reading only DRM-free ebooks on your Kindle, or stripping the DRM from your Kindle books and loading them back onto your Kindle, if you're really worried about a repeat of Amazon's 1984 fiasco.

Nor are the books inherently DRM-free if bought on the Kobo. If you followed the vendor's preferred path on both devices, the experience would be exactly the same: you have a Kindle/Kobo device, you buy a book from the vendor's store, your book is encrypted with DRM and locked to your device(s). The only advantages the Kobo offers from that perspective is supporting the industry-standard EPUB format, and staying with a consistent DRM scheme that has been cracked for awhile, rather than changing it every 15 minutes.

I do appreciate both things about the Kobo, but I wish reviewers would take a little more time to explain that one does not instantly mean the other, as this leads to disappointed Kobo buyers.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

I think it's unfortunate that people tend to conflate owning a Kobo with the whole "liberating your ebooks" thing. There's nothing stopping you from reading only DRM-free ebooks on your Kindle, or stripping the DRM from your Kindle books and loading them back onto your Kindle, if you're really worried about a repeat of Amazon's 1984 fiasco.

Nor are the books inherently DRM-free if bought on the Kobo. If you followed the vendor's preferred path on both devices, the experience would be exactly the same: you have a Kindle/Kobo device, you buy a book from the vendor's store, your book is encrypted with DRM and locked to your device(s). The only advantages the Kobo offers from that perspective is supporting the industry-standard EPUB format, and staying with a consistent DRM scheme that has been cracked for awhile, rather than changing it every 15 minutes.

I do appreciate both things about the Kobo, but I wish reviewers would take a little more time to explain that one does not instantly mean the other, as this leads to disappointed Kobo buyers.

Sorry but you don't seem to know much about Kobo's use of DRM. You buy an ebook from Kobo and you have two options for non-Kobo Plus books. Option 1 is that you download the book to your computer which process gives you two options. Either you download the ePub file for a DRM free book or you download an Adobe ACSM file if the book is encrypted.

The second option is if you use the Kobo Desktop app (KDA) on a PC or Mac, the Kobo app on iOS or Android or a Kobo ereader. Those ebooks are downloaded either with no DRM or DRMmed with Kobo's proprietary encryption which can be handled by calibre's OBOK plugin. If you do not have a Kobo ereader connected to your computer, the OBOK plugin will display books downloaded by KDA. If you have a Kobo ereader connected, OBOK will show the synced books on the ereader.

For Kobo Plus, there is no download option and KDA will not download a copy and leave it on your computer.

As for not worrying about Amazon's 1984 fiasco, you might want to check thr 2024 version. See the Amazon removed books from my Kindle plus other messages scattered around Mobileread.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I know there is the Android method. But is there any other method if you don't have a pre-2024 Kindle registered to your account? The Windows and Mac apps are getting updated such that they are not longer compatible with DeDRM. The PW6 no longer allows D&T. I'm thinking the other two don't as well.

Yes, I believe there are other methods. If you want to pursue this, maybe ask in this thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=351285

so that the knowledge will be centralized, or start a new thread.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

This method only works with books purchased before 2023.

Are we sure about this?

I just downloaded a these books from Amazon, and was able to remove the DRM.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D6RMSDSY
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CY337Q77

One is a first reads book, the other is a Kindle Unlimited book. I assume they had DRM.

Edit: They both dowloaded as KFX, so ipso facto they had DRM?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by John F

Are we sure about this?

I just downloaded a these books from Amazon, and was able to remove the DRM.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D6RMSDSY
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CY337Q77

One is a first reads book, the other is a Kindle Unlimited book. I assume they had DRM.

Interesting. I installed K4PC 1.39.2 (65383) and was able to download newer books in azw format. I then installed K4PC 1.38.0 (65290) and got the expected popup about Your Kindle app requires an update....

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

Are we sure about this?

I just downloaded a these books from Amazon, and was able to remove the DRM.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D6RMSDSY
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CY337Q77

One is a first reads book, the other is a Kindle Unlimited book. I assume they had DRM.

Edit: They both dowloaded as KFX, so ipso facto they had DRM?

What version of the Kindle app did you use? Relatively recent versions do download newer books. Old, pre-kfx versions don't.

[JSWolf]

On a Macintosh, you have to use the latest version of KindleforMMAC. And with that you cannot remove the DRM from eBooks downloaded.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

What version of the Kindle app did you use? Relatively recent versions do download newer books. Old, pre-kfx versions don't.

I'm not on my PC, but I think it was 2.4.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Interesting. I installed K4PC 1.39.2 (65383) and was able to download newer books in azw format. I then installed K4PC 1.38.0 (65290) and got the expected popup about Your Kindle app requires an update....

Version 1.39 or newer is required to download recently published books.

Even though they will have an AZW file extension, most books will be delivered in KFX format. The trick to disable KFX does not work for recent Kindle for PC versions.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Version 1.39 or newer is required to download recently published books.

Even though they will have an AZW file extension, most books will be delivered in KFX format. The trick to disable KFX does not work for recent Kindle for PC versions.

Which basically agrees with what I was attempting to convey. You can't use an older version of K4PC to download newer books.

[DrNefario]

My own approach is that I'm aware of the terms of "ownership" and adjust the amount I am willing to pay accordingly.

I accept the restrictions in exchange for a big discount, basically.

Of course, the price isn't up to me, but generally speaking I can wait for a sale if I'm not happy with it. There are other books. And I already own (or "own") hundreds of them.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But is there any other method if you don't have a pre-2024 Kindle registered to your account? The Windows and Mac apps are getting updated such that they are not longer compatible with DeDRM. The PW6 no longer allows D&T. I'm thinking the other two don't as well.

I believe the Bluestacks method still works, but tbh I would not count on that.

My solution is to avoid Kindle entirely.