New version of DRM removal tools ("DeDRM")

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I think we didn't quite get is that the link we post has to contain a link to a different site and not a link within the same site. That's what we didn't get. But that's now been sorted thanks to someone's post on the Alf blog.

"But you may not provide direct links to the sites hosting the tools."

This includes Apprentice Alf's blog itself. Post deleted.

If any news site gives a link, or if you have a blog that is not dedicated to DRM removal, you may post a link to that.

I got it wrong. Links to Alf's blog are permitted. Sorry!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

"But you may not provide direct links to the sites hosting the tools."

This includes Apprentice Alf's blog itself. Post deleted.

If any news site gives a link, or if you have a blog that is not dedicated to DRM removal, you may post a link to that.

I am completely wrong. Jon's post has been restored.

I have double-checked the guidelines and the dscussions, and links to Alf's blog are OK, as are any links to discussions of DRM removal.

It is only direct download links that are forbidden.

Apologies, everyone!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

I seem to recall that the policy regarding links to Alf's site was changed a while back and it was now ok to link there? Or did I get that wrong?

You were right, and I was wrong. See amended mod notice.

It is OK to link to Alf's blog and blog comments.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You were right, and I was wrong. See amended mod notice.

It is OK to link to Alf's blog and blog comments.

No problem. Even Grand Mice may err occasionally.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You were right, and I was wrong. ...

Those have to be the rarest words on the internet!

I raise my cup of eggnog in your direction, sir.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by 13xforever

So I would start thinking of a long-term strategy to free your boks.
I sure hope that publishers will ditch the encryption in favor of the digital watermarks very soon.

Is ADE 2.01 still working?

If so, then that can be used for a long time to come. I can't believe anyone dropping ADE 2.x for the forseeable future, as using ADE 3.x or newer might force the download of books using the new Adobe DRM, making the books unusable with older devices.

You could also buy books from non-Kobo EPUB stores. In the Netherlands, for example, using watermarks is the default for protecting ebooks. (Even so, using search and replace/regular expressions, they are easy to remove.)

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by 13xforever

So I would start thinking of a long-term strategy to free your boks.

My long-term strategy is to remove DRM as soon as possible after buying them. And good backups of the DRM-free copies.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

My long-term strategy is to remove DRM as soon as possible after buying them. And good backups of the DRM-free copies.

+1
Apache

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

My long-term strategy is to remove DRM as soon as possible after buying them. And good backups of the DRM-free copies.

[Wearever]

Thanks for the info pdurrant !

[Wearever]

Also thanks to 13xForever ,

[13xforever]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

using ADE 3.x or newer might force the download of books using the new Adobe DRM, making the books unusable with older devices.

See, this is why encryption is bad. It's not just "older" devices, it's every other device that doesn't support given DRM. That's my problem.

Originally Posted by Katsunami

You could also buy books from non-Kobo EPUB stores.

I used to use Sony eBook Store as they didn't check the CC's country of origin. Kobo is doing wonderful job of bringing many works untranslated in many countries, which are usually US-only. I like it when the book that I want is easily obtainable, without loops and for a reasonable price. Sadly, that is the only real option for me.

Originally Posted by Katsunami

In the Netherlands, for example, using watermarks is the default for protecting ebooks. (Even so, using search and replace/regular expressions, they are easy to remove.)

See, I don't understand why you would bother to remove watermarking, it's not like it prevents you to use the content. My tools are only for decrypting the stuff, I leave all the account information intact (although, for Kobo specifically, all of their kepubs that I have, are generic).

Originally Posted by pdurrant

My long-term strategy is to remove DRM as soon as possible after buying them. And good backups of the DRM-free copies.

I think everyone does this. The problem is, you can't buy all of the future books right now, and once Kobo will start changing their scheme every other day, it will be very hard for consumers to make unencrypted backups. Sure, I can try to be bothered once in a while, but I can only do so much (I have no skills to reverse-engineer any meaningful scheme), and it's fun to do it once or twice. Then you'll have to wait for anyone to be bothered and skilled enough to reproduce it (and then it will be obsolete in a few weeks/months again).

And Kobo, using a private scheme, can change it as often as they desire. And they already starting to obfuscate the code, and throw in some easy traps. But if anything, this is just fun games right now. The advantage is on their side, by far.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by 13xforever

I think everyone does this. The problem is, you can't buy all of the future books right now, and once Kobo will start changing their scheme every other day, it will be very hard for consumers to make unencrypted backups. Sure, I can try to be bothered once in a while, but I can only do so much (I have no skills to reverse-engineer any meaningful scheme), and it's fun to do it once or twice. Then you'll have to wait for anyone to be bothered and skilled enough to reproduce it (and then it will be obsolete in a few weeks/months again).

Some might say I've had a good try at buying all the future books (TBR currently 780+)

But you're right - DRM removal is a short term strategy in that sense. The vendors could keep switching DRM schemes until the clever people who are willing to do the reverse engineering give up in disgust.

In which case, I'd switch back to my pre-2008 regime, of only buying ebooks sold without DRM.

I rather hope that the publishers come to their senses before that happens and abandon (encryption based) DRM as a costly and customer-unfriendly failure.

Perhaps if the publishers get scared enough of Amazon (as the music publishers did with Apple), they'll let some other retailer have DRM free ebooks. Which would quickly lead to the complete demise of DRM.

[JSWolf]

There is a very simple way to take down Amazon's eBook empire. It doesn't require fiddling with pricing. All they have to do is make their ePub eBooks DRM free. Then Amazon would be the ones selling DRMed eBooks and people would jump ship.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is a very simple way to take down Amazon's eBook empire. It doesn't require fiddling with pricing. All they have to do is make their ePub eBooks DRM free. Then Amazon would be the ones selling DRMed eBooks and people would jump ship.

It might lead to the demise of DRM (as I suggest above), but it wouldn't harm Amazon significantly. They'd just unilaterally state that any ebooks sold at Amazon now had to be DRM-free. Publishers would just have to comply, or see a large ( 50%? 70%? 90%?) drop in their ebook sales in the short term.