Amazon has removed Download & Transfer option

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

azw3 files are very similar to epub files. You can edit them with calibre's ebook-editor or convert them to ePub with KindleUnpack which will give a result much closer to the original source file (ePub is the most popular source format for KDP). KFX is semi-compiled and a conversion from KFX to ePub gives, from the point of view of someone who wants to edit the book, a very ugly starting place.

From the point of view of being able to backup my ebooks, I really don't care about the input format. From the point of view of being able to edit the ebook before sending it to my ereader, I do care.

For me there's no real difference, as I don't much care about the closeness to the original source and actually prefer customized calibre conversions to original AZW3/KFX.

[jlinear]

Originally Posted by DNSB

KFX is semi-compiled and a conversion from KFX to ePub gives, from the point of view of someone who wants to edit the book, a very ugly starting place.

And from the few KFX to ePub conversions I have tried the size of the ePub I end up with is much larger than when converting from AZW3 to ePub.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

They have done so, several times. Then it has been some time before the new DRM has been cracked.

Yes. I've been here through all of them. Nothing new under the sun. It works until it doesn't and then other people work harder until it does. Same as it ever was.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Yes. I've been here through all of them. Nothing new under the sun. It works until it doesn't and then other people work harder until it does. Same as it ever was.

The question isn't "if" but "when". "Until it does" could be months to years in the making.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Same as it ever was.

Not really. Before KFX was introduced, Amazon didn't bother with strengthening their DRM; back then they cared more about acquiring new customers than about keeping the existing customers caged in. It was the same old DRM for several years. And even post-KFX there was always D&T to fall back to, if KFX couldn't be decrypted. Now there's no more D&T, which means that until the new DRM is cracked (if it's cracked at all), there would be very few methods to still deDRM Kindle books (ancient Kindles and the Android method, and the latter could easily be disabled by Amazon). We cannot be sure that there will always be someone able and willing to crack a new Amazon DRM, either.

[DiapDealer]

But that's my point! It ALL could have easily been disabled by Amazon at any time they wanted. We have never been sure of anything, and we're not sure now.

But with 3 working methods that I have right now, I'm much more confident that some of them will keep working. In the past, there were times when there was only one single method that worked. Seems to me that things were much more dire in the past than they are now. But I won't stand in people's way if they want to believe that the sky is falling. I'm just not one of them.

New Amazon DRM will always be cracked by someone, sometime. The main reason it hasn't been is precisely because there are still multiple ways to get around most of it. Motivation will come when things ARE actually that dire.

[JSWolf]

I can download to my two Kindles and remove the DRM. So I can still get Amazon First Reads books. Because I'm on a family plan, that's two books per month except when it's 4 books for that month.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

In the past, there were times when there was only one single method that worked.

When was there only a single method that worked? In the very beginning? Since I've been buying Kindle books (2011) there have always been more than one.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

New Amazon DRM will always be cracked by someone, sometime. The main reason it hasn't been is precisely because there are still multiple ways to get around most of it. Motivation will come when things ARE actually that dire.

Definitely true. However one thing that has shifted over time is the increased difficulty of cracking Kindle DRM combined with the shorter period of usefulness once Amazon becomes aware of it. That gives incentive to those who do manage to defeat DRM to keep it to a select group so that the effort is not in vain.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

When was there only a single method that worked? In the very beginning? Since I've been buying Kindle books (2011) there have always been more than one.

In 2008/2009, the only method was using a standalone Python script that worked by generating a PID for your Kindle based on the serial number. No K4PC option, no calibre plugin. The calibre plugin version came next. The ability to use K4PC only came about later. Then when the method to generate valid device PIDs was temporarily broken by Amazon in newer devices/firmware, The K4PC method was the only option until the ability to generate valid PIDs from the device serial number was rediscovered.

Some history for those interested:

https://darkreverser.wordpress.com/2...blog/#comments

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=20341

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Definitely true. However one thing that has shifted over time is the increased difficulty of cracking Kindle DRM combined with the shorter period of usefulness once Amazon becomes aware of it. That gives incentive to those who do manage to defeat DRM to keep it to a select group so that the effort is not in vain.

I've always felt that the widespread availability and the increasing ease of use of the DeDRM tools contributed to Amazon becoming more and more aware of the efforts (as well as the ability to track the progress of such efforts becoming easier).

"Easy DRM removal for all" became the downfall of "consistent DRM removal for some."

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Definitely true. However one thing that has shifted over time is the increased difficulty of cracking Kindle DRM combined with the shorter period of usefulness once Amazon becomes aware of it. That gives incentive to those who do manage to defeat DRM to keep it to a select group so that the effort is not in vain.

Ultimately if it's too hard to crack: Automatically take a picture of each page and then OCR. OCR still needs proofed but it's better than it was. Ironically commercial pirates have the resources, so DRM isn't about stopping piracy but controlling consumers. Video or audio streaming (or BDs) are even easier to pirate.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I've always felt that the widespread availability and the increasing ease of use of the DeDRM tools contributed to Amazon becoming more and more aware of the efforts (as well as the ability to track the progress of such efforts becoming easier).

"Easy DRM removal for all" became the downfall of "consistent DRM removal for some."

It most likey have contributed to NetGalley switching from Adobe DRM to LCP DRM.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It most likey have contributed to NetGalley switching from Adobe DRM to LCP DRM.

I doubt it. It could be for a number of reasons. maybe they got LCP at a better price, or they are paranoid. In either case it doesn't stop commercial piracy.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Ultimately if it's too hard to crack: Automatically take a picture of each page and then OCR. OCR still needs proofed but it's better than it was. Ironically commercial pirates have the resources, so DRM isn't about stopping piracy but controlling consumers. Video or audio streaming (or BDs) are even easier to pirate.

This. No DRM/copy protection scheme has ever deterred commercial piracy for long. It was, is, and always will be intended a deterrent to "casual" piracy. And yet, Valve, Apple, and especially GOG.com have decades of proof that casual piracy is a service problem. The more strict the provider is, the more it's customers will resort to casual piracy to obtain a superior service or product.