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

Usually, when Amazon releases a Kindle update, it introduces new options or enhances the system ultimately. For instance, earlier within the yr, Amazon added new text spacing options for e-books to its Kindle e-readers, a brand new Assistive Reader device, and a larger font setting for the consumer interface. Nevertheless, evidently with the most recent Kindle replace, Amazon has centered on locking down its Kindle e-readers much more, reasonably than bettering them.

In response to 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 more durable 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 group discussion board, with a lead developer of a Kindle jailbreak methodology 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 once you go to learn it.

To take away the brand new DRM methodology, you’d have to realize entry to the brand new storage location of this account secret, which is barely potential if a Kindle system was jailbroken earlier than the replace. What this implies for Kindle lovers is that connecting your Kindle to a PC or Mac and backing up a Kindle e-book you have just lately bought and downloaded utilizing DRM removing instruments, and storing it in an e-book administration app like Calibre, is now almost not possible.

The replace impacts the vast majority of Kindle e-books

Earlier this yr, Amazon made it more durable 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 will not be utilized in just one occasion: when the writer has requested it not be used. In such circumstances, the ebook’s Kindle Retailer web page will show “Simultaneous system utilization: Limitless” underneath product particulars.

In response to a consumer on the MobileRead forums, they discovered it was “not possible to take away the DRM from 99% of the ebooks” they’d bought from Amazon. So when you’re a Kindle fanatic who steadily backs up your books onto your PC, the most recent replace will undoubtedly have an effect on your potential to do this.

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

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

In case your Kindle is not set to routinely 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 have just lately bought and downloaded will develop into much more difficult than it already is.