Removing DRM from an ebook

I bought a Kindle-only ebook as one of Amazon’s daily deals thinking I could convert it to epub for reading on a friend’s Nook Color. I can’t figure out how to strip the stupid DRM, though. I downloaded the plugin for Calibre, but I need some kind of PID number and I have no idea what that is or where to get it.

Amazon knows I use the Cloud Reader and Kindle for PC. I sent the ebook to Kindle for PC, found the azw file, loaded it in Calibre just fine, but the conversion process to epub stalls because it asks for that darned PID number.

Any insight?

If that doesn’t work for you (I don’t know if there’s a way to get the PID out of the Kindle PC software), there’s another way to do it that’s more cumbersome and involves an old version of the Kindle PC software and a Python script. Search for “unswindle”.

Yeah, you need a hardware kindle, or an older version of Kindle for PC from what I know. I don’t know how to do it with the software because I only bought kindle books once I had a kindle.

Yeah, I gave up and got a refund from Amazon. I don’t feel like reading a 300 page book on my PC. I wish Amazon would understand that if they remove the DRM they can still have the sale yet others can read the ebook on different devices. It’s not as if most people would even have a clue about how to convert an .azm file to an epub file. People figure out how to use a torrent site easier than they figure out how to jump through hoops with Calibre.

If you root the Nook Color, you can apparently install the Kindle app…

As for Amazon and DRM, yeah, I don’t know why they bother either. It’s trivially bypassed, the books are all up on torrent sites anyway, most of their audience doesn’t care because they use the WhisperSync stuff, and the few geeks who do use Calibre or third-party devices would appreciate it. But I suspect the publishers would revolt if Amazon proposed DRM-free ebookery.

In this case it’s an Amazon imprint, AmazonEncore. Amazon themselves made the decision to go with DRM. I even emailed the author and he wrote me back and told me has asked Amazon to not use DRM and Amazon refused.

I mean, Amazon sold the book for $0.99 on their Daily Deal. That’s practically giving it away. Is removing DRM really going to hurt?

Anyway, in this case it doesn’t seem easy for me to bypass the DRM. I figured it would be a snap with Calibre, but since I don’t have a Kindle that doesn’t work. I don’t want to root this Nook either because it’s not actually mine, just one I borrow from time to time.

I think you should bypass kindle drm first ,then transfer it to nook.good luck
you can try Epubor kindle drm removal

Reported!

This thread inspired me to fire up this topic:

I am able to strip the DRM of most of my books with v4.7 of the Tools and Calibre.

I was using Calibre but at some point it wanted a device number from the Kindle I don’t have before it would remove the DRM – I use Kindle for PC.

the calibre plugin doesn’t ask for ANY info if you have logged into kindle-for-pc on the same machine. same for adobe digital editions.

It can be confusing, though. If you go to the plugin settings in Calibre, and double click on the kindle de-drm plugin, it will ask you for a serial number despite the fact that one isn’t needed.

You may be using an older version of the plugins. I just tested by dragging and dropping one of my purchased + DRM protected AZW files into Calibre and it proceeded to strip the protection. There was zero setup/configuration since I have an authorized install of Kindle for PC (but not running) already. My plugin version is 0.3.7 for the “K4PC, K4Mac, Kindle Mobi and Topaz DeDRM.”

It de-DRMs Topaz? I almost have to wonder what the point of that is, given how absurdly proprietary Topaz is.

(EDIT: Oh, right, transferring to non-associated Kindles.)

Amazon knows I use the Cloud Reader and Kindle for PC. I sent the ebook to Kindle for PC, found the azw file, loaded it in Calibre just fine, but the conversion process to epub stalls because it asks for that darned PID number.

It’s about platform lock-in. Every book with Amazon DRM that you own is one more reason to buy all your future books from Amazon.

At this point, Amazon cares much more about building a base of locked-in customers than making a profit off them.

What this episode has shown me is that what I really want is a third-party e-reader that can run the various apps – the Kindle app, the B&N app, etc. Then I don’t have to worry about it.

So bring on the color e-ink readers that run on Android, or something along those lines.

That’s my experience too. I don’t know how to get around it.

You don’t think it would be slightly irritating to have to remember which app to run to read a book? And what happens when you want to buy from some other store, down the road – another app?

I think it’s worth the pitaness of figuring out how to do the de-DRMing, and then using the app you want to use, wherever you want to use it, with all your books.