Transfer Amazon DRM books from Calibre to Kindle App on iPad

[MaverickRK]

I cannot figure out how to transfer my Amazon Kindle books from Calibre to my iPad Kindle app. These are legitimately purchased books that I can "Send to Device" to send to my Kindle. But I would like to use Kindle App instead to read them while managing library in Calibre.

I have bought Calibre Companion to make the wireless connection to the iPad, as I see that I cannot do it through USB due to Apple restriction. But I do not see how I can get those into the Kindle App.

I am using a Macbook Pro, latest OS, and iPad with latest OS.

Any help would be appreciated.

[lumpynose]

Have you tried Amazon's Your Devices and Content web page?

[pdurrant]

Kindle ebooks are encrypted with a key that is unique to the device. It is not an account-based key. So any kindle ebook file that has DRM that can be read on your iPad iOS Kindle app cannot be read by your MacBook MacOS Kindle app.

If you want to store your kindle ebooks in calibre and use calibre to send them to different devices (or read them using calibre's viewer) you'll need to remove the DRM.

http://apprenticealf.wordpress.com/ is your starting point for DRM removal. Note that detailed help with DRM removal isn't permitted on MobileRead.

[stumped]

remove DRM is the best solution. strip it with the relevant tool as the book(s) are added to calibre.
but out of curiosity, what is Amazons official recommended method for getting the purchased books into their K for ipad app. can it not grab them directly from amazon like the android kindle app can ?

if you are not editing or de-drming the books in any way I don't see what you gain by moving them with Amazon -> calibre -> ipad. it just adds an extra step

you could do, in parallel. Amazon -> calibre and Amazon -> ipad if you want calibre to reflect what you own and don't want to strip the DRM.

[Deskisamess]

what is Amazons official recommended method for getting the purchased books into their K for ipad app.

It's exactly the same as for a Kindle or Kindle app on Android. The limitation is that you can't purchase Kindle books from within the app. But delivery of already purchased books is the same.

There is a @Kindle email address also, just like a Kindle, for sending non Amazon books. And Calibre can use email to send books also, if the DRM has been stripped.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by stumped

rbut out of curiosity, what is Amazons official recommended method for getting the purchased books into their K for ipad app. can it not grab them directly from amazon like the android kindle app can ?

It can indeed download directly from Amazon, and that's the way people use it.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Kindle ebooks are encrypted with a key that is unique to the device. It is not an account-based key. So any kindle ebook file that has DRM that can be read on your iPad iOS Kindle app cannot be read by your MacBook MacOS Kindle app. ...

@OP: what this means in the end is that if you have purchased an ebook for a Kindle device, or app, that downloaded file is only usable in that one device or app. You can, though, download the same book from Amazon again for another device or app that is registered to the same Amazon Kindle account.

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by dwig

@OP: what this means in the end is that if you have purchased an ebook for a Kindle device, or app, that downloaded file is only usable in that one device or app. You can, though, download the same book from Amazon again for another device or app that is registered to the same Amazon Kindle account.

That's what I meant in my cryptic response.

[stumped]

i think the one awkwardness with the IOs app ( please correct me if wrong) is that you cannot buy a book from within it ( because amazon don't want to pay the apple commisison)

whoops - that's already been said in #5

So you have to go to your PC or mac, buy the book, then go back to the app and download it.

You can buy directly from the kindle for android app ( which is arguably a weakness as you cannot pin or password protect such purchases like you can on an actual amazon device

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by stumped

So you have to go to your PC or mac, buy the book, then go back to the app and download it.

You don't need to use another device. You can buy from Amazon on an iOS device using Safari, just not from within the Kindle app.

[Deskisamess]

I may the exception, but in the 10 years I've been using a Kindle or Kindle app, I've rarely bought books from the Kindle device or app. I've always done the bulk of my book shopping from a browser...either a computer, or from a browser on an iDevice.

I found shopping from a Kindle (not a Fire) to be sluggish and clumsy. Especially if I wanted to read some low star reviews before hitting the BUY button.

[Slipkid]

If the book is already in calibre, you can convert it to an epub and then copy the file to the ipad using itunes. It will show up under the "books" app , not the kindle app. This is how I do it using a PC, I'm assuming that will work on a mac.

[MaverickRK]

Thanks for all the replies, but I suppose I need to explain a little further.

Yes, I can download my books directly from my Amazon account to either my Kindle or to my iPad running the Kindle app.

My problem is that I have to give up my personal Amazon account because it is tied to my company's Seller Account. It's a long story of how that happened, but it started a long time ago in the early days when I founded the company, and now the buyer account cannot be separated from the seller account. We are selling our company, and since the seller account has all the stores, reviews, seller history, etc., I have to set up a new personal buyer account. (I have been through at least a dozen support staff from Amazon, and senior levels even, and the two accounts cannot be separated.)

All the Kindle books I have bought over time are tied to my personal buyer account, even though they have nothing to do with the company. I cannot transfer them to my new personal buyer account (again, after several support calls, that appears to be absolute.)

So, I found Calibre, and realized that I could download all my books from Amazon into Calibre on my computer and keep them there for when I no longer have access to my old buyer account. When I want one, I can upload it to my Kindle. That works, I have tried it. But I much prefer to read books on my iPad using the Kindle app for a number of reasons (unless I'm on a beach in the sun.)

I was really hoping it would work to get the books into my iPad as well. That was the reason for the question I asked.

So given that scenario, does anyone know how to get Kindle books from Calibre into the Kindle app on an iPad. (No, I do not want to strip the DRM as I do not feel that is fair to the authors. But in my case I bought and own the books. I just want to be able to read them on the device of my choice.)

Thanks in advance.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by MaverickRK

(No, I do not want to strip the DRM as I do not feel that is fair to the authors. But in my case I bought and own the books. I just want to be able to read them on the device of my choice.)

Thanks in advance.

You cant have it both ways- DRM locks books to a specific device. if you want to read them on something else, not linked to your buyer account, you have to remove it- or buy them twice

personally I think it's madness to keep them locked in an account that is about to close. you will never be able to authorise a new device to use that account

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by stumped

You cant have it both ways- DRM locks books to a specific device. if you want to read them on something else, not linked to your buyer account, you have to remove it- or buy them twice

personally I think it's madness to keep them locked in an account that is about to close. you will never be able to authorise a new device to use that account

This. Strip the DRM off them. Now, while you still can.