Some DRM free bookstores and publishers
buttondown.com
Hi again, this short little thing is going to be a short email on places to buy DRM Free EBooks. Because Amazon has taken away the ability for people to...
  • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
    471·
    2 months ago

    I recently switched to Kobo as a Kindle alternative, but that also highlighted a problem. Kindle Unlimited includes a TOS for publishers that prevents them from selling their books on any other platform. A significant chunk of the Kindle catalogue is also included in Kindle Unlimited, which means a significant chunk of authors works are locked into the Amazon ecosystem.

    It’s been very annoying to discover how many book series I’ve been reading that are simply unavailable elsewhere because they opted to take part in Kindle Unlimited.

    • bassomitron@lemmy.worldEnglish
      331·
      2 months ago

      There’s a reason tons of major authors have come out against Amazon. I think Brandon Sanderson even went so far as to write books in secret and shadow drop them onto other book platforms, purposefully avoiding Amazon entirely. Also, Kindle Unlimited is an awful deal for authors, they get literal pennies for every reader.

    • Bieren@lemmy.worldEnglish
      112·
      2 months ago

      This has been my issue as well.

      And when you sail the high seas to liberate books. You might get the actually book, without issues. You might get a file named your book, that has 17 pages of that book and then the rest is a manual to fix a car.

      • bob_lemon@feddit.orgEnglish
        121·
        2 months ago

        There’s an archive of books belonging to a certain anna, which has not failed me yet.

      • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        Plus I actually want to support the authors. My issue is with Amazon not the authors, so I want to pay for the books I’m reading so they can keep making more of them. If I could buy the books directly from the authors in some cases I would, and in all cases if it was available from the Kobo store I’d be willing to buy it there. Unfortunately that damn exclusivity clause on Kindle Unlimited means my options for them are Amazon, Amazon, or Amazon (or roll the dice on piracy and not support the author, not to mention even when it is the book in question the quality is often poor).

    • sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      Related question: are Kindle Unlimited books digital only? Can you not buy physical copies of it?

      Ngl I still buy physical books, and I use my ereader to check out ebooks from the library and/or sail the high seas, so I have no idea what’s going on in the ebook ecosystems.

      • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        Sort of? Kindle Unlimited itself is digital only, but the exclusivity clause only applies to ebooks I think, so in theory you could purchase a physical copy elsewhere.

        I’ve pretty much entirely abandoned physical books. It’s just far more convenient using an e-reader which has a backlight for reading in the dark, fits thousands of books in a device that’s pocket sized, and let’s me instantly purchase, download, and start reading the next book in a series as soon as I finish the last one.

        I do have physical books still, but I haven’t bought new ones in about a decade now.

    • MisterFrog@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 month ago

      This is what I’m planning to do with some textbooks I want for my work.

      $200-$300 and you want me to download an app that may or may not even work in 10 years?

      Nah, I’m gonna future proof my access no remorse 🏴‍☠️

      I will pay though, because it’s tax deductible, and also because it I ever get questioned on it (since I use them around coworkers and management), I’m golden.

  • shneancy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    2 months ago

    humble bundle at one point sold a bundle with the works of U K Le Guin, and since i’ve been meaning to read those, i bought it

    all were under amazon DRM

    i’m a big fan of being able to do whatever the hell i want with the things i buy so naturally, i got mad and looked for a way to un-DRM them, and i’m happy to say there’s a calibre plugin for that. i’m currently enjoying Wizard of Earthsea on my reMarkable

  • bpev@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    Anyone got store recs for non-english books? Or that mostly just gonna vary a ton by language?

    • doodledup@lemmy.worldEnglish
      112·
      2 months ago

      This is the answer to everything ain’t it? You probably neve purchased a book in your life and just came here proudly to say this.

      • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        4·
        2 months ago

        I purchase physical books, but I’d be fucking daft to purchase a REVOKABLE LICENSE to a book. That said, I have SO MANY digital books that I obtained for free.

        • doodledup@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          2 months ago

          You can buy the ebooks from Kobo or the like and strip out the DRM using Calibre.

          Shitte practices by Amazon are no justification to let it all out on the authors. Amazon literally doesn’t care whatsoever if you don’t buy a book there. However, the author might need to feed their family dry bread today.

          • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            Fuck that

            Why would I go through extra effort

            I can just get them and not do all that shit

            I’ll buy a book I can hold

        • doodledup@lemmy.worldEnglish
          12·
          2 months ago

          You people are delusional to not understand that intellectual property is the fundamental basis of our world economy, and also your job. Elliminate all IP you’ll get an iPhone that’s priced at $20. What is your recommendation for a communistic society where nobody will get rewarded for creativity and ingeneuity? How would that work exactly? I’m listening.

  • RedstoneValley@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    Is there any way to liberate existing ebooks now that Amazon has pulled the plug on downloading? An unfortunate friend of mine has “bought" Books from Amazon for thousands of euros and he just now finds out that he doesn’t seem to own them. I’d help him free his books if there is a possibility.

    • zarenki@lemmy.mlEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      If you have a rooted Android device or a jailbroken Kindle device, yes, you can still use Calibre DeDRM and KFX Input plugins on the kindle ebooks downloaded on them. It just takes a bit more setup with getting the key you need.

  • Zink@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    My wife likes her kindle hardware.

    I love stumbling upon EPUBs and using Amazon’s website to send them to her kindle.