Amazon is making it a lot tougher to take away DRM from Kindle books

Usually, when Amazon releases a Kindle update, it introduces new options or enhances the gadget in a roundabout way. For instance, earlier within the 12 months, Amazon added new text spacing options for e-books to its Kindle e-readers, a brand new Assistive Reader software, and a larger font setting for the consumer interface. Nevertheless, plainly with the most recent Kindle replace, Amazon has centered on locking down its Kindle e-readers much more, somewhat than bettering them.

In accordance with Good E Reader, Amazon’s newest firmware replace (model 5.18.5) for its eleventh and Twelfth-generation Kindle e-readers, the Kindle Colorsoft, and the Kindle Scribe, has added a brand new DRM system that makes it even tougher for Kindle customers to again up any of their e-books.

The existence of a brand new DRM system was first found on the MobileRead neighborhood discussion board, with a lead developer of a Kindle jailbreak technique reportedly stating that the brand new DRM system employs an “account secret” saved in an “inaccessible location” on Kindle e-readers, which is used to unlock the encryption of an e-book if you go to learn it.

To take away the brand new DRM technique, you’d have to achieve entry to the brand new storage location of this account secret, which is barely doable if a Kindle gadget was jailbroken earlier than the replace. What this implies for Kindle fanatics is that connecting your Kindle to a PC or Mac and backing up a Kindle e-book you’ve got just lately bought and downloaded utilizing DRM removing instruments, and storing it in an e-book administration app like Calibre, is now practically unattainable.

The replace impacts nearly all of Kindle e-books

Earlier this 12 months, Amazon made it tougher to again up your Kindle library to your PC

The brand new DRM system seems to have an effect on most newly downloaded e-books bought from Amazon’s Kindle Retailer, whatever the date of publication or the date of buy. Reportedly, the brand new DRM just isn’t utilized in just one occasion: when the writer has requested it not be used. In such instances, the guide’s Kindle Retailer web page will show “Simultaneous gadget utilization: Limitless” beneath product particulars.

In accordance with a consumer on the MobileRead forums, they discovered it was “unattainable to take away the DRM from 99% of the ebooks” that they had bought from Amazon. So in the event you’re a Kindle fanatic who ceaselessly backs up your books onto your PC, the most recent replace will undoubtedly have an effect on your skill to do this.

It comes as no shock that Amazon is locking down its Kindle e-readers much more. Earlier this 12 months, Amazon controversially removed the ability to make use of the “Obtain and Switch through USB” possibility for its Kindle e-readers, making it even tougher for individuals to again up e-books they’ve bought and doubtlessly change to a different e-reader model, comparable to Kobo.

Moreover, after this replace was launched, customers started encountering an Invalid ASIN error when making an attempt to open an e-book that had been sideloaded or transferred by means of the Kindle e mail system. Contemplating a brand new DRM system appears to be in impact now, I’m wondering if that is what triggered the Invalid ASIN error within the first place, however that is solely hypothesis on my half. Amazon has stated that it is investigating the Invalid ASIN error customers are experiencing, and you’ll learn extra about it in one other Pocket-lint story here.

In case your Kindle is not set to robotically replace, then the brand new DRM system should not have an effect on your e-reader. Nevertheless, be warned that if it updates to five.18.5 or later, backing up e-books you’ve got just lately bought and downloaded will develop into much more difficult than it already is.