Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre - Page 8

Sirtel · 08-17-2024, 12:43 AM

The reason Amazon wants a strong DRM on their books has nothing to do with piracy. They just want us to read our Kindle books on Kindle devices and in Kindle apps, so they can data mine us. They don't want us to remove the DRM and read the book on something else, where they can't access our data.

lkmiller · 08-17-2024, 05:16 AM

Yes, when the unbroken DRM was only on certain books, it seemed that it was on the publishers insistance for stronger protection. But with this update, it is even on books from publishers/authors who don't want DRM on their books. So this is definitely all for Amazon. Of course, it drives a few folks like us away. But many people don't care about being able to read on other devices or having their own backups.

ownedbycats · 08-17-2024, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lkmiller

So this is definitely all for Amazon. Of course, it drives a few folks like us away.

And it's genuinely frustrating because of the KDP Select exclusivity clause eroding the option to get eBooks from other sources.

Jacques Q. · 08-17-2024, 09:52 AM

Hello. Having been one of the first "victims" of the forced implementation of version 2.4.1 of K4PC (don't know whether French customers were their test target for this specific attack...), I found out nearly all by myself then that reverting to 2.4.0 fixed the issue of having to deal wih non-convertible "KFX-ZIP" files. I think the instructions on the first post of this thread are very clear and should bring anyone being annoyd with this out of trouble. I donwloaded the "disable_k4pc_download" program, I'm not sure whether I make it run correctly (not familiar with .bat stuff), but anyway I know that keeping the 2.4.70940 version safe will save the day should Amazon manage to do unwished for things on my my PC again...

jhowell · 08-17-2024, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacques Q.

...but anyway I know that keeping the 2.4.70940 version safe will save the day should Amazon manage to do unwished for things on my my PC again...

That will work for now. Unfortunately Amazon has a history of eventually disabling the ability to download some or all books using older versions of Kindle for PC.

Lief · 08-17-2024, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhowell

That will work for now. Unfortunately Amazon has a history of eventually disabling the ability to download some or all books using older versions of Kindle for PC.

That's not all, I remember that without changing version (some version of Kindle PC ago) some of my manga the day before downloaded as kfx (it was the first time they pushed kfx on manga but it was still possible to remove the drm) the day after they downloaded as azw3 again... I was so sure that I reverted to a previous version of the app that I was sure delivered kfx and it was still delivering azw3 for manga that I had a backup in KFX (or better the epub conversion without drm).

I think the local version is not 100% decisive, they also have remote control over what Kindle PC can download regardless of version (maybe with some limitation).
So if some still need to do a backup I would do it now, they can both disable the ability to download ebooks from the old version and change what the old version can deliver.

lkmiller · Yesterday, 06:49 AM

The old version does deliver unremovable DRM on certain books. Best to avoid KFX format if possible. But only Amazon knows how much longer that will be possible for any book. They are certainly narrowing the ways to get the older formats.

ownedbycats · Yesterday, 07:13 AM

Have they closed the Bluestacks method off yet? I think they tried to force upgrade to a newer version of the app but you could get around it with an older Android version.

DNSB · Yesterday, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Have they closed the Bluestacks method off yet? I think they tried to force upgrade to a newer version of the app but you could get around it with an older Android version.

Not as yet. The original 4.16.0.75 version no longer works but if you updated to 8.51.1.0 as documented by @DuckieTigger, it is still working for now.

Lief · Today, 10:12 AM

Small OT (but not too much). For anyone who has self-published a book on amazon choosing the drm-free option (which obviously is not respected today) and does not know where to publish it without drm (and maybe sells a book every now and then so the minimum of $50 payout from kobo is unrealistic), I suggest itch (which has a minimum payout of $5 and which has an extremely simple publishing process (including tax management and similar bureaucracy)).
Some time ago I had directly published a public dropbox link on my book amazon page description (I hate drm and I didn't want my customers to be deprived of the drm-free version), then the instructions to remove the drm, today I simply suggest the itch version on the same description.

It's not like I make more than 10€ each year so for me it's not something that I do for money, but I would have done the same anyway, I hate drm, that's why I opted out in the publishing process on amazon, that's also why I don't like that they opt you in without any consent (I asked again the amazon support to correct this, I know they will not do it but I decided to try again anyway, maybe if enough authors decide to complaining about this problem and opting to publish elsewhere will be corrected.
After all, one thing is the elimination of drm by those who publish with drm, another thing is the fact that they put drm where it shouldn't be).

08-17-2024, 12:43 AM	#106
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,897 Karma: 226731282 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	The reason Amazon wants a strong DRM on their books has nothing to do with piracy. They just want us to read our Kindle books on Kindle devices and in Kindle apps, so they can data mine us. They don't want us to remove the DRM and read the book on something else, where they can't access our data. Last edited by Sirtel; 08-17-2024 at 12:46 AM.

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08-17-2024, 05:16 AM	#107
lkmiller Laura Posts: 1,326 Karma: 22770108 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Elipsa, Nook Glowlight 4 Plus, Kindle Oasis 2	Yes, when the unbroken DRM was only on certain books, it seemed that it was on the publishers insistance for stronger protection. But with this update, it is even on books from publishers/authors who don't want DRM on their books. So this is definitely all for Amazon. Of course, it drives a few folks like us away. But many people don't care about being able to read on other devices or having their own backups.

08-17-2024, 09:52 AM	#109
Jacques Q. Zealot Posts: 100 Karma: 1544 Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Paris Device: quite a few Kindles...	Hello. Having been one of the first "victims" of the forced implementation of version 2.4.1 of K4PC (don't know whether French customers were their test target for this specific attack...), I found out nearly all by myself then that reverting to 2.4.0 fixed the issue of having to deal wih non-convertible "KFX-ZIP" files. I think the instructions on the first post of this thread are very clear and should bring anyone being annoyd with this out of trouble. I donwloaded the "disable_k4pc_download" program, I'm not sure whether I make it run correctly (not familiar with .bat stuff), but anyway I know that keeping the 2.4.70940 version safe will save the day should Amazon manage to do unwished for things on my my PC again...

Yesterday, 06:49 AM	#112
lkmiller Laura Posts: 1,326 Karma: 22770108 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Elipsa, Nook Glowlight 4 Plus, Kindle Oasis 2	The old version does deliver unremovable DRM on certain books. Best to avoid KFX format if possible. But only Amazon knows how much longer that will be possible for any book. They are certainly narrowing the ways to get the older formats.

Yesterday, 07:13 AM	#113
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 9,125 Karma: 62844539 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	Have they closed the Bluestacks method off yet? I think they tried to force upgrade to a newer version of the app but you could get around it with an older Android version.

Today, 10:12 AM	#115
Lief Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2021 Device: Kindle 4	Small OT (but not too much). For anyone who has self-published a book on amazon choosing the drm-free option (which obviously is not respected today) and does not know where to publish it without drm (and maybe sells a book every now and then so the minimum of $50 payout from kobo is unrealistic), I suggest itch (which has a minimum payout of $5 and which has an extremely simple publishing process (including tax management and similar bureaucracy)). Some time ago I had directly published a public dropbox link on my book amazon page description (I hate drm and I didn't want my customers to be deprived of the drm-free version), then the instructions to remove the drm, today I simply suggest the itch version on the same description. It's not like I make more than 10€ each year so for me it's not something that I do for money, but I would have done the same anyway, I hate drm, that's why I opted out in the publishing process on amazon, that's also why I don't like that they opt you in without any consent (I asked again the amazon support to correct this, I know they will not do it but I decided to try again anyway, maybe if enough authors decide to complaining about this problem and opting to publish elsewhere will be corrected. After all, one thing is the elimination of drm by those who publish with drm, another thing is the fact that they put drm where it shouldn't be).