Amazon's vertical integration/monopoly

[eschwartz]

Changelog.old.yaml

- version: 0.8.50
  date: 2012-05-04

  new features:
    - title: "Tweak Book: Allow tweaking of KF8 MOBI files. Useful to fine-tune the result of a conversion. Right click on the book and select Tweak Book to use the feature. Note that tweaking a MOBI file that contains both KF8 and older MOBI6 will cause the MOBI6 version to be discarded."

    - title: "AZW3 output plugin. This output plugin generates pure KF8 mobi files. These only work on the Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch with latest firmware."

[...]

- version: 0.8.48
  date: 2012-04-20

  new features:
    - title: "Conversion: The search and replace feature has been completely revamped."
      description: "You can now use any number of search and replace
      expression, not just three. You can also store and load frequently used
      sets of search and replace expressions. Also, the wizard generates its
      preview in a separate process to protect against crashes/memory leaks."
      tickets: [983476,983484,983478]

    - title: "Support for the new '.azw3' files that Amazon recently started generating. calibre will now detect them as ebooks. It can also view/convert them, if they are DRM free."

[...]

So that would be version 0.8.48 released on April 20, 2012 -- which first implemented AZW3.
And two weeks (releases) later, calibre could create AZW3.

Just about exactly 6 months after the beginning of the KF8 announcement thread here.


Gosh, that quickly? If I had blinked, I would've missed it.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

So I see people were just as hot and bothered about KF8 as they are now about KFX.

Are they? The protection of copyright and the fight against piracy is a good thing, is it not?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Just about exactly 6 months after the beginning of the KF8 announcement thread here.

Thanks for that. I'm surprised it was that quick. I think it was several months after that that it became sufficient stable for practical use in creating KF8 books.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Are they? The protection of copyright and the fight against piracy is a good thing, is it not?

'piracy protection' is provided by DRM.

Kindle_Unpack only works on books which are not protected by DRM.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Are they? The protection of copyright and the fight against piracy is a good thing, is it not?

Um, what?

It's the intellectual crime of the century.

...

I just don't think KFX is a meaningful "protection of copyright and the fight against piracy".
Any more than KF8 was.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I just don't think KFX is a meaningful "protection of copyright and the fight against piracy".
Any more than KF8 was.

The main goal of KFX appears to be the delivery of device-specific image resolutions, as an extension of the little-used AZW6 format.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The main goal of KFX appears to be the delivery of device-specific image resolutions, as an extension of the little-used AZW6 format.

Well now. It appears you're just drinking the kool-aid.
(Mmmm, tasty.)

Originally Posted by Rizla

I previously made this very obvious point re: kfx and it was met by a wall of denial from some users who instead argued that the new file format had been introduced to allow scalable images in books. Pretty silly really, especially coming from apparently intelligent people.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by knc1

'piracy protection' is provided by DRM.

I would think it can be provided via encryption and obfuscation, no? It can take many forms, not just DRM.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It's the intellectual crime of the century.

How so? Intellectual property rights and copyright must be protected, wouldn't you agree?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Do you mean "April 2012"?

Originally Posted by eschwartz

P.S. That is April 2012, not April 2011.

I did indeed make a typo. But my original statement was accurate, just not precise.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Rizla

How so? Intellectual property rights and copyright must be protected, wouldn't you agree?

You appear to be starting from the assumption that I support DRM, and, I suppose, the DMCA, modern copyright law, and a raft of other things.

Unfortunately for you, I don't, and I won't bite.


Modern copyright law sucks, "life or 50" is something I would begrudgingly compromise on, the DMCA should've been shot at birth (I cannot fathom why it isn't illegal for that law to even exist, actually), and DRM is a pointless stupidity that protects nothing, interferes with the fundamental rights of consumers, costs everyone money, and was probably invented by a Lovecraftian horror.


And despite all that, I STILL don't see why KFX is a problem.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Rizla

I would think it can be provided via encryption and obfuscation, no? It can take many forms, not just DRM.

You can't expect to invert the components of a sentence and have it remain true.

I only posted what is intended to provide "piracy protection" (DRM).
I did not claim it was the sole means to that end.

You would have better luck in making your point, if you did not intentionally mis-quote people.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I did indeed make a typo. But my original statement was accurate, just not precise.

Excuses, excuses.

OK, I'll let it pass, this time.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Rizla

I would think it can be provided via encryption and obfuscation, no? It can take many forms, not just DRM.

The only problem with that is that an unprotected (DRM Free) kfx file can be read on ANY kindle that supports the format, no matter what device it was originally downloaded for.

So in terms of kfx as an "anti-piracy" format...not so much.

Shari

[jhowell]

The ability for anyone to produce unencrypted KF8 books using kindlegen was a significant factor in reverse engineering that format. The apparent encryption of all KFX books (including public domain works that are encryption-free in other formats), along with the lack of a tool to generate KFX on demand, are obstacles to deciphering that format. I am certain they will be overcome if the need arises.

One thing that came to light a while ago is that KFX was originally developed to support interactive magazines on Fire tablets. I purchased one of the new inexpensive Fire tablets recently and also purchased a magazine issue for it. I found that it was visible on the tablet as a set of unencrypted KFX files in a freely accessible directory. That may provide a means to discover more about the format, though there are possibly differences between the book and magazine variants.