- For instructions, see the DeDRM_App_ReadMe.txt file in the DeDRM_Windows_Applications folder. Other_Tools This is a folder of other tools that may be useful for.
- DeDRM ReadMe. DeDRM is an application that packs all of the python dm removal software into one easy to use program that remembers preferences and settings. It works without manual configuration with Kindle for Mac ebooks, Adobe Digital Editions Adept ePub and PDF ebooks, and Barnes & Noble NOOK Study ebooks.
- Inside the tools_vX.X.X.zip there’s a DeDRM_calibre_plugin directory extract the DeDRM_plugin.zip from that directory Install the DeDRM_plugin.zip to Calibre by going to Preferences -> Change Calibre Behaviour, then under Advanced select Plugins, then select Load plugin from file and select the DeDRM_plugin.zip.
When you pay Amazon some money for a Kindle eBook, you probably think it’s yours now. I mean, you paid some money, you got some content, and now you have it, just like any other book you buy at a brick-and-mortar store. Well, that’s wrong. Actually, you didn’t buy anything, and you don’t own that book you just paid for.
Once that’s all setup all you have to do is import your Kindle ebooks into Calibre and the plugin will remove the DRM automatically. You can then use Calibre to convert the ebooks into other formats, such to ePub, to read on any non-Kindle ebook reader or reading app. Step 3: Now run the Calibre tool on your computer. In you are using the tool for the first time, you might be asked to configure it. Just select the default options and complete the wizard.
Amazon’s official Kindle Store Terms of Use are very clear about this, stating “Kindle Content is licensed, not sold, to you by the Content Provider”. Technically speaking, Amazon can take the book away at any time – simply remove it from your device remotely and delete your account, which wouldn’t be a first for them. If this sounds wrong, and if you think you should actually own a book after clicking a button that says “Buy now with 1-Click” and paying some of your hard-earned money, read on and I’ll show you how to take ownership of your Kindle eBooks.
What DRM Removal Means
After you de-DRM your Kindle books, you will be able to read them on your Kindle as per usual, but you will also be able to convert your ebooksThe Essential Ebook Converter GuideThe Essential Ebook Converter GuideThere are many different file types for ebooks, so you may want to convert one at some point. Here's what you need to know.Read More to PDFs, ePubs (for reading on a Nook, for example), and any other format. Most importantly, Amazon would never be able to take those books away from you – you get to keep what you bought.
This Is Not About Piracy
A few important caveats you should keep in mind before proceeding with DRM removal:
- Stripping DRM violates Amazon’s ToS. By taking ownership over the books you paid for, you are doing something they specifically told you not to do. Again, I quote from the Kindle Store ToS: “you may not bypass, modify, defeat, or circumvent security features that protect the Kindle Content.”
- Stripping DRM may be illegal in your country or state. Laws change from country to country, and I’m sad to say that in some countries, it is now illegal to actually own content you bought. I am not telling you to break the law, merely informing you about technology. Whatever you do or not do is your own responsibility.
- If you are a decent human being, I trust that you will not distribute the content you de-DRM. If you do this, you don’t hurt just Amazon, but the individual author who wrote the book you’re sharing with others. That’s just not fair, so please don’t do it.
- Last but not least: DRM is a cat-and-mouse game. This method works at the time of this writing, and may stop working tomorrow, as soon as Amazon change things.
If this whole concept of DRM sounds new and unfamiliar, go read James’s recent piece, What Is DRM & Why Does It Exist If It’s So Evil?What Is DRM & Why Does It Exist If It's So Evil? [MakeUseOf Explains]What Is DRM & Why Does It Exist If It's So Evil? [MakeUseOf Explains]Digital Rights Management is the latest evolution of copy protection. It’s the biggest cause of user frustration today, but is it justified? Is DRM a necessary evil in this digital age, or is the model...Read More in which he presents some compelling arguments explaining the problems and realities of digital rights management. If it’s not just DRM-free books you’re after, Matt recently published 6 Places To Buy DRM-Free Games6 Places To Buy DRM-Free Games [MUO Gaming]6 Places To Buy DRM-Free Games [MUO Gaming]Since I’ve decided not to buy games from Steam, I need to find other sources. Many of them are actually worse than Steam itself. Ubisoft’s store is baffling and full of annoying DRM. Electronic Art’s...Read More, and Justin showed you how to Rip A DRM’d DVD Disk To ISO Format With BDlot DVD ISO MasterRip A DRM'd DVD Disk To ISO Format With BDlot DVD ISO Master [Windows]Rip A DRM'd DVD Disk To ISO Format With BDlot DVD ISO Master [Windows]Watch everything on your favorite DVD, including special features and commentary, from a single file on your hard drive. With the right software you can overcome the file protections on your DVDs and watch them...Read More.
Ingredients (All Free, Except For Your Book)
Itool For Mac
You will need:
- A Kindle book (or fifty) you bought and now wish to actually own. These books should all be registered under your Amazon account for this to work.
- Amazon’s Kindle for PC application. Even if you use Windows 8, get the one that’s labeled “for Windows 7, Vista, and XP.” It works just fine on 8, just doesn’t use the Modern interface.
- The Calibre eBook manager. Much has been written about this fantastic free application, and we have an entire manual dedicated to it, titled Open Book: Managing Your eBooks With Calibre. You don’t need to read the whole manual to do this.
- The magic sauce: Apprentice Alf’s DRM Removal Tools for eBooks. This is a ZIP file full of lots of plugins and tools, and we’ll use just one of them. Download the ZIP and remember where you put it.
Installation
First, download and install Calibre and Kindle for PC.
Then, register Kindle for PC under your account, and download all of the books you wish to de-DRM. To do this, click Archived Items within Kindle for PC, then right-click the book you wish to download, and pick Download:
This is a very tedious process, because you have to manually download each and every Kindle file you own. If you know of a way to bulk-download these titles into Kindle for PC, enlighten me in the comments and I’ll amend this part of the post with full credit to you.
After you’ve downloaded all of your books, your Kindle for PC Downloaded Items screen should look nicely populated:
Of course, we’re not going to have the same books, but you get the point. Now we need to get at the actual files for these books. By default, they’re going to be in your Documents folder, under My Kindle Content:
The files we care about are the AZW ones – these are the actual books. So, now we have all of our DRM-protected files downloaded, and we know where they are.
Next, install Calibre.
Now, unzip Apprentice Alf’s plugin bundle into a folder. It doesn’t matter where you put this folder. I just dumped it in my Downloads directory:
Note the Calibre_Plugins subfolder – that’s what we’ll need. Also, you can definitely take a look at ReadMe_First just to get a better understanding of what this whole bundle is about.
Next, launch Calibre and click Preferences:
In the Preferences screen, click Plugins under Advanced:
In the Plugin window, click “Load plugin from file” (near the bottom of the window):
Now, navigate to the folder where you unzipped Apprentice Alf’s de-DRM bundle, and click Calibre_Plugins. There, pick “K4MobiDeDRM_v04.7_plugin.zip” (the version may change by the time you read this):
Calibre will now explain that installing plugins locally is a security risk. That’s true, but we’re going to go ahead and take that risk anyway:
So, click Yes, you do want to proceed. You should now get a success message:
And… you’re done. At least on my machine, this is the totality of what needs to be done to break DRM on Kindle books.
Now restart Calibre, and let’s break some DRM.
The Fun Part
Remember the My Kindle Content we located a few steps back? Now, open that folder, and open Calibre.
Sort the folder by extension, and highlight all of your AZW files:
Now go ahead and drag them onto the Calibre window. That’s right: Just drag and drop, there’s nothing more to it.
Calibre will now crunch some numbers, and add all of your books to its library. As it does this, it creates DRM-free copies of your books, which you can then convert to any other format you wish to use. Those copies can’t be removed by Amazon, no matter how naughty they think you’ve been. What’s yours is yours – mission accomplished.
Final Thoughts on DRM Removal
Snipping Tool For Mac
Seriously, please don’t pirate books. Authors need you to buy their work so they can make a living. That said, I do think that when you buy something, it should be yours. Circumventing DRM is a finicky process, and what I’ve described may not work for you.
If you’re looking for websites with free ebooks you’ll enjoy5 Sites With Lots of Completely Free Ebooks That Don't Suck5 Sites With Lots of Completely Free Ebooks That Don't SuckIf you know where to look, you can snag free ebooks to read online, download to your computer, or transfer to your Kindle.Read More, check out this list.
Explore more about: Amazon Kindle, Digital Rights Management, Ebooks, Reading.
You forgot the enter serial number part. If one is not using a Eink kindle device, how will he get serial number or key? Without that this is impossible.
Yes, it really works even now without any problem. Just one thing - you must have Kindle 1.17. Thank you so much!
This still works in 2019, but you need to install the older version of Kindle. 1.17. Otherwise it won't work.
Your awesome! Will follow the ethical part as well
Cheers and thank youWhen I downloaded one book into my Kindle app for Win 10 the above worked. I then downloaded 17 books into my Kindle App and the My Kindle Content still only has one .azw file. Amazon have obviously hidden the books somewhere else on my computer. My folder has a few other strange files one of which probably points to some encrypted secret location. If anyone has any ideas please let me know!
I have installed, uninstalled and installed again the anti-DRM software in Calibre. I'm getting the success message, that the plugin has been installed, but when I attempt to convert DRM books in Calibre, it still tells me I cannot convert the books because they are DRM protected. I have spent hours online trying to fix this with no success. I would be incredibly grateful for any help you could provide. I am using Calibre on a MacBook Pro with 10.8 OS.
thanks for all.
It worked perfectly.Sweet!
Bolches yarboclos pa todos los DRM jabronis
brilliant, this worked great in 2017! Thanks so much! Converted from .amz to ibooks (epub). In iOS all functionality seems to be retained, it looks great. I bought this book from Amazon because it was 15 dollars cheaper than in ibooks.
i tried to follow this article and im not seeing any AZW files, only azw.res & azw.md files, the azw.md is tha the larger one
This article may be 5 years old, but it worked like a charm.
I had accidently purchased an ebook on Amazon (damn 1-click buy!) when I really wanted it on google play books. This made it easy.
Reading back on these old comments, it seems some people just don't get it - I've paid for the book so the author and all related parties are compensated regardless of whether I'm reading it on my android device, ipad, computer, smartwatch, or print it out.
I get that DRM helps to protect content from people who have no intention of purchasing it. But I'm not one of those people - every song, movie, game, app, and book has been paid for. Unfortunately, using what I've paid for isn't always convenient (or desirable) when you're locked into a specific device or platform. Take DVD's. I own a lot of them, but I also own slim laptops and tablets that don't have DVD drives on them, so I don't see burning a digital copy so I can actually watch these movies to be in any way, shape, or form to be unethical.
If I own vinyl records and want to listen to them on my smartphone, I don't have any problem with recording the audio.
What I find to be unethical is forcing users to purchase multiple copies of the same product over and over for no good reason other than to be greedy. It's unethical to say that because I bought an ebook copy of a recipe book, I can't print that recipe to use in my kitchen because it's more convenient for me to do so. I think it's also unethical for digital products to be locked into a single user rather than be allowed to use it among my immediate family. Yes, I've purchase two copies of the same musical album and duplicate CD's just to 'play by the rules', but it's so silly when you think about it.
Dear Eric,
I agree that Amazon is so greedy they still own the rights to the books so you can never own them. They are the EVIL EMPIRE. Thanks for realizing how greedy they are. I am so glad I got Calibre I hope it works for me. Amazon started out as a good company then turned into the worst most evil greedy company besides FB and the others. They would love to be a monopoly on everything then raise their prices, that is why I buy on eBay and other places.
Jamesbabe
1 January 2017
Yesterday there was an update for my desktop Kindle.
Before I managed to remove the DRM for my strictly personal use. (I don't like the Kindle reader)
I can still convert previously downloaded kindle books, using the Calibre converter. However, the conversion of newly downloaded books is blocked. It would appear Amazon has changed the DRM/AZW.same problem ;( Is there any way to fix that?!
It would appear that the .azw file and it's brothers are sisters(.azw3 and .azw4) are now baked differently with DRM. Look at the Epubsoft website for a list of inexpensive software products that will address this turn of events.
Well, I just tried it and it seems to have worked out perfectly for me. Which is a relief because I have ADD and find audiobooks easier to handle than reading, so I was trying to get my Kindle books to use text-to-speech - wasn't happening. My only option was to convert my books to epub and use a different app to read to me. But this tutorial did the trick- thank you so much.
It appears that on Jan 4, 2017 the file structure for Kindle files downloaded to my PC have changed. Each book is in a separate folder and there are more files in the folder. I can download the book into Calibre. It lists the file as being an AZW file. When I attempt to open the book, it says 'Failed to read book'. A further message is 'Unknown book type' . This may be the end of Calibre and Kindle!!!!!!!
It worked for me just now - wonder what the difference was?
Won't work.
calibre, version 2.76.0 (win32, embedded-python: True)
Conversion Error: Failed: Convert book 1 of 1 (Database Systems: Design, Implementation, & Management)Convert book 1 of 1 (Database Systems: Design, Implementation, & Management)
Resolved conversion options
calibre version: 2.76.0
{'asciiize': False,
'author_sort': None,
'authors': None,
'base_font_size': 0.0,
'book_producer': None,
'change_justification': u'original',
'chapter': u'//*[((name()='h1' or name()='h2') and re:test(., 's*((chapter|book|section|part)s+)|((prolog|prologue|epilogue)(s+|$))', 'i')) or @class = 'chapter']',
'chapter_mark': u'pagebreak',
'comments': None,
'cover': u'C:Userscs548AppDataLocalTempcalibre_n33rueuek_ky.jpeg',
'custom_size': None,
'debug_pipeline': None,
'dehyphenate': True,
'delete_blank_paragraphs': True,
'disable_font_rescaling': False,
'duplicate_links_in_toc': False,
'embed_all_fonts': False,
'embed_font_family': None,
'enable_heuristics': False,
'expand_css': False,
'extra_css': None,
'filter_css': u',
'fix_indents': True,
'font_size_mapping': None,
'format_scene_breaks': True,
'html_unwrap_factor': 0.4,
'input_encoding': None,
'input_profile': ,
'insert_blank_line': False,
'insert_blank_line_size': 0.5,
'insert_metadata': False,
'isbn': None,
'italicize_common_cases': True,
'keep_ligatures': False,
'language': None,
'level1_toc': None,
'level2_toc': None,
'level3_toc': None,
'line_height': 0.0,
'linearize_tables': False,
'margin_bottom': 5.0,
'margin_left': 5.0,
'margin_right': 5.0,
'margin_top': 5.0,
'markup_chapter_headings': True,
'max_toc_links': 50,
'minimum_line_height': 120.0,
'no_chapters_in_toc': False,
'no_inline_navbars': False,
'old_pdf_engine': False,
'output_profile': ,
'override_profile_size': False,
'page_breaks_before': u'//*[name()='h1' or name()='h2']',
'paper_size': u'letter',
'pdf_add_toc': False,
'pdf_default_font_size': 20,
'pdf_footer_template': None,
'pdf_header_template': None,
'pdf_mark_links': False,
'pdf_mono_family': u'Courier New',
'pdf_mono_font_size': 16,
'pdf_page_numbers': False,
'pdf_sans_family': u'MS Shell Dlg 2',
'pdf_serif_family': u'Times New Roman',
'pdf_standard_font': u'serif',
'prefer_metadata_cover': False,
'preserve_cover_aspect_ratio': False,
'pretty_print': False,
'pubdate': None,
'publisher': None,
'rating': None,
'read_metadata_from_opf': u'C:Userscs548AppDataLocalTempcalibre_n33rue_cvjdv.opf',
'remove_fake_margins': True,
'remove_first_image': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing_indent_size': 1.5,
'renumber_headings': True,
'replace_scene_breaks': u',
'search_replace': '[]',
'series': None,
'series_index': None,
'smarten_punctuation': False,
'sr1_replace': None,
'sr1_search': None,
'sr2_replace': None,
'sr2_search': None,
'sr3_replace': None,
'sr3_search': None,
'start_reading_at': None,
'subset_embedded_fonts': False,
'tags': None,
'timestamp': None,
'title': None,
'title_sort': None,
'toc_filter': None,
'toc_threshold': 6,
'toc_title': None,
'transform_css_rules': '[]',
'uncompressed_pdf': False,
'unit': u'inch',
'unsmarten_punctuation': False,
'unwrap_lines': True,
'use_auto_toc': False,
'verbose': 2}
Python function terminated unexpectedly
No embedded PDF found in AZW4 file (Error Code: 1)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File 'site.py', line 132, in main
File 'site.py', line 109, in run_entry_point
File 'site-packagescalibreutilsipcworker.py', line 195, in main
File 'site-packagescalibregui2convertgui_conversion.py', line 33, in gui_convert_override
File 'site-packagescalibregui2convertgui_conversion.py', line 26, in gui_convert
File 'site-packagescalibreebooksconversionplumber.py', line 1050, in run
File 'site-packagescalibreebooksazw4reader.py', line 24, in unwrap
ValueError: No embedded PDF found in AZW4 fileIt worked great. Thank you for taking the time to lay out the needed steps.
Someone please clear this point for me.
I use Calibre to convert .azw I found under that folder into .epub and .mobi without removing DRM. So I can say that Amazon just removed DRM system from their books? Or the new version of calibre just did the removal and then convert normally?
Or DRM by Amazon means if you share the converted ebooks without DRM removal, they will catch you because there might be a spy in the files that will announce Amazon when the files are shared?
Ajax,
publishers can set DRM upon publication on Kindle. They have a choice to switch it on or not. So not all Kindle books are DRM protected. It sounds like yours did not DRM on it.
When you share a DRM protected book, it simply won't open on somebody else's device/account. An error message will say as much, prompting to either remove the book, or purchase another copy.
When you strip the DRM and share the resulting copy, there's no record of who used to purchase said copy, so there's no way to track you (although I do agree with the author of this article that sharing such DRM stripped content is unethical).
What's the big deal? Amazon make it clear you're buying the book under licence. You know the rules so just read the book. The comments on this article pleading for people to 'do the right thing' and don't on sell the book make me laugh. I hope none of these conversions work. Authors put too much into their books to see a best-seller disappear in a puff of piracy smoke!
I needed to convert so I could use a different e-reader app to use text-to-speech since the Kindle app doesn't support it. I don't see how that is anyone's fault but Amazon's since they don't have the accessibility options I needed.
That's okay Natalie and I'm sorry you're not getting what you need, but what you do have is what you purchased. Surely people understand the limitations when they purchase the license to read a book. Unfortunately that is what Amazon' is selling and as painful as they are it's up to them how they sell books and it's my choice whether I sell through them. If the options they offer don't work I can choose not to use them, in the same way people don't need to purchase the license to read a book if they're not happy with the conditions of the sale. What I don't understand is people buying something, being very clear on the conditions of purchase, and then complaining about the conditions. That's just wierd. Would I buy a car with a manual gear change and then complain that it's not an automatic? If people want to own a copy of a book that they can read anywhere they want they can buy a print copy (for 4 times the price)
Well, you don't sound like an obnoxious, pushy, irritating straight arrow. You know, the kind that's forever lecturing people over miniscule, harmless garbage? Nope, not you.
Not sure just where the 'reply' goes here, seeing that it's not under Julianna's response, but no Julianna, I don't consider myself an 'obnoxious, pushy, irritating straight arrow'. Just an author who thinks people should shut up and have the intelligence to understand what it is they're buying without whinging about it later. Too much to ask?
All works fine as described although l used the free winrar program to unzip the Calibre de-DRM Bundle Sept 2016
after downloading Apprentice Alf’s DRM Removal Tools for eBooks, i got as far as looking for the file “K4MobiDeDRM_v04.7_plugin.zip” from the instructions above ... whereupon the instructions began to fail ... i could not find this file. so i looked around and found, in the folder '/download/DeDRM_tools_6.5.1/DeDRM_calibre_plugin/' i found the file DeDRM_plugin.zip ... i used that in the calibre instructions rather than the 'K4Mobi...' file in the instructions and everything worked from there. I was able to import the azw3 books from the '/documents/My Kindle Content' folder, convert the books to epub format, copy them to my new Samsung tablet (bought because of Amazon's 'effed up policies when my Kindle began to need repair) and read them via the Universal Book Reader (a fairly good app) ...
I agree with you ... once you buy something, it should be YOURS ... if I buy a paperback book (which i haven't for several years now, and i've used this process to convert somewhere in the vicinity of 650 books from Amazon) i can take it to a used book store and dispose of it. or buy some other used book ... i SHOULD be able to do the same with ebooks ... in MY opinion, what they are doing with DRM is nothing but thievery ... I also agree with you that authors should be properly compensated for their work ... i do NOT involve myself in this process to resell these books ... ONLY to be able to read them where and whenever !!I!! so choose
Does not work with .azw4
Worked perfect - dont download the Kindle App, just the PC Version
FYI this artivle is horribly out of date as book vendors have for the most part figured out how to eliminate Calibre (doesn't work anymore) and other apps that circumvent DRM.
They just steal our money and then make us flail around in stress and frustration and we end up with NOTHING fo r our money. TIME TO BOYCOTT EPUB DISTRIBUTORS
Both Calibre and this plugin are HIGHLY overrated. The plugin has never worked for me, not once. The Calibre is not good enough even for converting files.
If you really want to remove DRM from the books you legally purchased, use Epubor All DRM removal. There's 30 days free trial, but the full version costs 20 USD - as I'm a prolific buyer and reader of ebooks, that's not so much.
Thanks a lot.
Worked perfectly for all kinds of books purchased / rented
I just tried one rented book to see if this method will work or notall for personal use and as you said NO PIRACY NO PIRACY
The Bulk Download of Kindle eBooks can be Done by: (Follow Directions Carefully) Login to You Amazon.com Account on Your PC, Look for the Tool Bar Area Line Starts on Your Left with 'Departments' Look toward the Right Same Horizontal Line, Until You See 'Hello, (Your Name)' Select Manage Your Content and Devices {From that Menu - White Arrow} SS#1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/20236683@N06/28034125236/in/dateposted-public/) Next Check Boxes of Content Wanted Select Deliver SS#2 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/20236683@N06/27787387820/in/dateposted-public/) Pick one of the Devices to BE YOUR PC Kindle eReader ... Simple - Yes !!
The other (much easier) option is to simply connect your Kindle to your computer via USB, enter the Documents folder, and drag all your downloaded content onto your computer, into the correct folder of the Kindle app. Provided that the content has been purchased under the same account, it'll work fine.
This also means there's no need to re-download the content, which can sometimes cause issues when you've reached the device limit or certain titles.
Worked
THERE IS NO SOLUTION FOR Rented book in Kindle(file type .azw4) Stop wasting time people! Just screenshot every single page.
I have a BIG problem. I removed DRM from e-book via Calibre and now is the font has changed from regular to italics style. How to change it? It is unreadable.
Anyone tried to convert to pdf and or print ebook with this method? Is it just me or is this not possible because its becoming strange formatted and unreadable
Can someone please direct me. I got all the way to the step where he says: In the Plugin window, click “Load plugin from file” (near the bottom of the window).
I did that, but when he says, Now, navigate to the folder where you unzipped Apprentice Alf’s de-DRM bundle, and click Calibre_Plugins. There, pick “K4MobiDeDRM_v04.7_plugin.zip” (the version may change by the time you read this):
I could not find a folder with that name. What other name would it be under? These are the folder names I got:
images
obok
translations
__init__.py
action.py
common_utils.py
config.py
dalogs.py
obok_dedrm_Help.htm
obok_plugin.zip
obok_plugin_ReadMe.txt
pugin-import-name-obok_dedrm.txt
utilities.pyWhich one out of these is it?
Hi, when you extract the zip file you should have 5 directories. the top one is:
DeDRM_calibre_plugin
Double click and chose the zip file, and follow the rest of steps
I hope that'll work for you too.
It worked for me :-)
I have had the Apprentice Alf’s plugin bundle in my Calibre for some time, and they flat do NOT work. Those titles with DRM are not workable, ever.
The plugin works fine. You are doing it wrong.
I wanted to use Calibre to remove the DRM on my purchased Kindle books,
but they don't show in my content folder.
Only the books you get for free (in my case Pride and Prejudice, Aesop's Fables and Treasure Island) are in there, not my own purchased ones.Is it possible to break the DRM if you can't find the file on your PC?
You have to download the books from your Amazon library for them to be in your content folder. Also, verify where your Kindle app is looking for your downloaded books (under Tools/Options/Content in the App, and ensure it is pointed to the right folder where you've save the book files.
Really good. I appreciate the post and the philosophy behind it. It does work, as of Feb 20 2016 with a Kindle Classic 7th generation. Thank you!
It works on bought books not rented because the rented are password or I guess serial number protected.
Hope there is an ultimate ebook converter can stip drm and convert ebook format in easy way, don't need to add plugins or other inconvenient steps.
There surely is an Ultimate eBook converter which contains both DRM removal and eBook conversion features.
The ultimate converter is called Calibre and the convenient step is to add the DeDRM plugin from Apprentice Alf's blog.
Just a tip when you download the books to your kindle for pc... and you go to the my kindle content folder... you can open each book and rename the file in the file folder to the book... so you know exactly which book it is.... if you do this you will still be able to open the file. It's beyond me why they are listed this way... very confusing ...bleh
Does not work as of January 20 2016
It works fine as long as you use the Kindle For PC app version 1.17 or earlier.
does not work
I followed the instruction like you said and it worked perfectly, for me is a way to transfer the books on a linux based computer, since the easiest way to read a book on ubunto is to download calibre, 'apt-get install calibre' but when i try to open the books i bought from amazon I had the DRM screen, using your procedure all went fine thanks
All my Kindle books stopped working when Amazon recently deliberately broke Kindle 1.10 reader on Mac, and my operating system won't run the required later version and my computer won't run a later version of the O.S. (and Amazon won't fix the problem or issue a refund). Basically, they are thieves. But the DRM removal tool requires me to be able to open the files in the Kindle reader. Is there a way to remove the DRM in my situation, so I can continue reading my books?
Everything works until I click Covert, then I get an error code when it fails to convert using all defaults. ConversionError: return code: 1.
I'm not sure how to change this or if I missed a step?
I downloaded the book to PC Kindle.
Unzipped the files as instructed
Updated Calibre with the plugin
Dragged the .azw files over to Calibre
Opened the files but DIDNT WORKeither the instructions are missing something or this crack doesnt work anylonger.
The instructions are absolutely all right. I've just gone through the process (as of December 1st, 2015) and it worked like a charm. After dragging and dropping your file onto Calibre, right-click on the desired book and select 'Convert', then choose the output format and voilà, it'll be ready to be accessed right from the Calibre's folder in Documents. I've also noticed that a .mobi file appeared in 'My Kindle Content' folder, also in Documents.
Follow the guide step by step, but finally failed...
Dear editor,
Thanks for sharing this with us. So helpful.
Here I want to know that, are there any online Kindle drm removal tools that you can recommend to us?
Nice guide ! I understand and support your claim ! Though I tried to do it but it keeps saying the ebook is locked (DRM) after dragging it and trying to convert to a mobi or pdf format. Any idea?
Hello
I would like to know if this method works for rented kindle items as some books are only available as rent while still costing a couple of hundreds.Otherwise, very handy, especially for very expensive medical books.
In my country, school is free.
Here, in Canada, we have to pay for everything in addition to over-inflated taxes.
After all, medical knowledge should be free, especially when written by doctors.
Yet they complain of a lack of doctors in Canada.thanks
What an asshoie you are promoting theft.
How do I edit content from my kindle? Like books I bought, for example. I want to know how I can delete sentences I don't like, as well as change words into other words?
When I have removed DRM and have the resultant Kindle Content, how can I find out which is AZW and which is MOBI? Also, if I give a Kindle Content book a new name, which version will appear on my Kindle as I have titled it?
Thanks alot for this!! Really great! I was studying from this book and loosing a ridiculous amount of time because you can't copy/paste with the kindle software. This solves my problem.
I owe you one!
There are other tools ... I got a giveaway offer of EPUBOR - works brilliantly.
So far only used it on free (but DRMed) book offers ... want the book on Mum's kindle, but it's only on one with a DRM EPUB - no problem.
Similarly, if I want something from Amazon on my Nook.
If DRM was compatible across platforms, and escrowed against disappearance of any particular host, then it wouldn't be so bad.
DRM actually STOPS YOU BUYING from any service that has DRM incompatible with your device.
It seems it doesn't work on Calibre x64 bit. I Installed 32 bit and it worked, after re-adding the book to Calibre library.
For all those that wants to urinate in their knickers over removing DRM, consider this: I am a student. I need a programming book for class. As a student, I do not have the permissions needed to install software such as Kindle reader on the PCs in college. Even if I did have the permission, I would have to install it on every PC that I use. So I *will* remove the DRM if at all possible.
Hi, downloading Calibre now and when it does, it isn't downloaded as a zip. So I don't have access to any of the plug ins???? I am using windows 8.1. Am I doing something wrong??
I don't know about a method to 'mass download' your kindle books, but I do know that in the reader app for windows, if you go to the archived items tab, you can double click on your books and it'll automatically que up and download your books.
It took me about 10 minutes to select all 500+ books that I have.
Hope this helps!
Doesn't work. Cannot Convert. DRM Protected. Great - Now I have an Amazon book I bought that I'm forced to use Kindle app with. 1 book.
Worked flawlessly!!!! So excited...I'd never buy on amazon but unfortunately book I bought is amazon exclusive,so I was forced to buy it. Anyway,glad I have a copy of my book now...
I realise this is a fairly old article but it's still worth a comment. Erez has done a fine job explaining a method of removing DRM from Kindle books but there is a slightly different way of achieving the same result:
Rather than install the Kindle app for PC or Mac you can perform the whole process in Calibre then convert your ebooks to MOBI, EPUB, FB2 or whichever other format you need and Amazon (and other retailers) will not be able to steal your purchases at their whim. The Calibre DRM removal plug-in just needs the serial number of your Kindle which can be found in the 'Device Info' section of the Kindle or in the 'Manage Your Content and Devices' section of your Amazon account. Once the plug-in is installed in Calibre, select it, click the 'Customise Plug-in' button at the bottom of the screen & choose the 'eInk Kindle ebooks' button from the 'Customise DeDRM' Window that appears. Click the '+' button then type in your Kindle serial, without any spaces and click 'OK'. That's it. All your Kindle ebooks should now be DRM free so convert them while you have the chance. Any that don't convert should be removed from Calibre, re-downloaded and added again, you'll usually have better luck the second time around. This also works for DRM'd ebooks from Barnes & Noble, Mobipocket, eReader, and Adobe Digital Editions.
Over the last 10 years I have amassed over 8'500 ebooks, some from Project Gutenberg, a few free from Amazon and other retailers but all the rest of those works in copyright have been paid for and all are now DRM free. I hate to think what I would have had to spend to replace them as various eReaders have broken, worn out or when support has been removed. I don't share them, I'll recommend the really good ones to friends & help them remove the DRM but the one's I've purchased are mine to read, on tablet, phone, PC, laptop or printed out & taped to the toilet door.
To those that are confused about the reasons for Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) on digital content: it's not about stopping piracy! No, really, it isn't! If someone can open digital content they can copy it one way or another, and they will if they are copyright pirates. They may need to take screen shots of each page and run them through OCR software or daisy-chain VCRs to record from each other but they'll do that if they have to. DRM is all about selling you, the legitimate end user, the same content multiple times. If, when your Kindle dies, you decide to buy a Nook or Kobo ereader you will be obligated to purchase the same titles again, and again, and again. It's all about the money they make from reselling the same content to legitimate users repeatedly. The alternative is to buy another Kindle and, if you don't know about de-registering your old device, you're likely to have to pay again for the content anyway - either way the retailer takes more money from you. The only people really affected by DRM are legitimate purchasers and users; pirates aren't affected, beyond minor inconvenience, and laugh at the people that pay for books, discs, games etc; the value of which is less than that of the pirated copies because they can only be used in certain, prescriptive, ways. All DRM is cracked eventually anyway, except by most legitimate users.
It's worth noting that there is little evidence that DRM affects the sale of ebooks, or other digital media. Those that do acquire pirated copies will usually buy a legitimate copy of their own, if they like the book. If they don't like it they delete the illegal copy to free up valuable hard drive space and, if they couldn't download it illegally wouldn't have bought it in the first place. DRM is an evil, money-making scam that needs to be stamped out. Crack your digital purchases and make them your own but don't share them with others, simple really.
Finally, my deepest thanks to Apprentice Alf for his hard work on the plug-in. You're doing good work, keep it up (or send me the source code so I can continue it!). Thank you, again AA; Digital Restrictions Management must die!
Great Advice and a great discussion.
I did have a problem about a year ago with Amazon deciding to delete my entire library. I had purchased my Kindle in Ireland and registered it there and purchased many of my e-books there. (I made sure that I clicked on 'buy' and not 'rent' like they advertise for many books.)
However, when I moved to South Korea for an English teaching position I found that all the books I had purchased had disappeared! Some were text books that I needed for my master's programme! After much debate they had clarified that for copyright reasons I was not allowed to take these books to Korea. I was then forced to either repurchase or find through other means my old collection. I still have my kindle but I have de-registered it and have yet to buy anything through amazon since.
So it's not that Amazon can just decide to take books away from you, but they can also dictate where you can and cannot read stuff downloaded from their website.
Erez is right. It's not about Piracy, it's about owning what you buy, and Amazon's current policy forced me into a corner and forced me to do things I didn't want to do to get these books back.
So thank you for all the help Mr. Zukerman. You're doing a great service. You've potentially saved me a bunch of hassle and I'm sure you've done the same for others!
tried would not work azw3. Files Did what it said in help forums.
I downloaded the file to remove the drm and it kept giving me zipped files so I had to keep unzipping files and then I followed all of your directions through Calibre but it wouldn't take me to the file with that filename in it. There is a file with that name, but it won't 'let me' access it with the directions that you give.
If I pay for something ( and I always do ) I want to watch it, read it or stuff it in a jar if I choose too. I paid for it, I should be able to do with as I please, as long as what I do with it is not illegal. Screw DRM. I De-DRM everything I pay for, and then watch, read or listen on whatever device I damn well choose.
Sorry Mary, that was not in reply to you, thought I was making my own comment. Apologies
Hi Erez! This is Great. Thanks ever so much for writing this article AND providing the way to convert AZW books to other formats.
Calibre is brilliant and this has now made it practically Perfect! It's a pain when you can't read Kindle books on your reader. I have a Sony E-Reader and have wanted a way to read Kindles books on it for ages.
I checked out some software but they all cost around $30.
The Kindle books I have, I paid for or got them free when Amazon offered them. So for me your article is purely about getting my books onto my reader which now the conversion through Calibre is done - I can! And very happy.
I don't want to buy a Kindle as I have a reader that cost quite a bit and like I said, I just want to read all my ebooks on it.
Thank You sooooo much!
This whole process is even more complicated under Linux as I have to install an additional version of Python and some other stuff and make sure I get it all installed in the same directory (as least that's how it seems) under Wine. The older version of the plugin worked fine. What happened to require the update and the apparent change in how and where the plugin gets installed? It's all becoming clear as mud at this point.
Hi there. I have followed the instructions and the books have been dragged successfully into the Calibre window and they are showing in my Calibre window as format AZW3. Is there a way I can test that they are DRM free now?
Thank for these instructions.
When my antivirus scanned tools v6.0.5.exe, I got a half dozen virus hits from my antivirus software; what's up with that? I think your advice to go thru the plugin virus warning as if it were trivial may not be the best advice. I think the best advice would be to make certain that you DO scan the file for viruses before you install it.
Here's why I want to de-DRM: I'm reading a textbook that I want to outline as I work my way thru it; everytime I copy and paste, PC Kindle appends a !@#$ attribution footnote to the paste! I can then delete it, but it slows down the process. It, or course, doesn't really do anything except nag you, but multiply that nag by hundreds, over the course of the whole book, it's a real PITA!
Thank you for the info, even thought I have a Fire HD.
I should also mention that the name of the zip file that contains the plugin has changed from your original article. It is now 'DeDRM_plugin.zip'.
Great post - everything worked smoothly - thanks! We are using this to share books within our family on kindles and kobos. This is also my first look at calibre - and it seems like an amazing tool. I'll definitely be using it more often.
Thank you for your help.
Everything works fine, except: I can download Alf's tools ... ZIP-file,
but when I open it, I do not find the K4...plugin.zip file I need to add to Calibre, but 4 folders, one containing a k4mobidrm.py file.Purchased a book on Amazon today. I have a non-kindle ebook reader & wanted to be able to read comfortably instead of perched in front of the computer. File extension was azw3 for purchased book. Followed your instructions to the letter & tested on a book with file extension azw I got free off Amazon a while back ago. The azw book converted automatically to mobi when I dropped it into Calibre (i have preferences set to auto convert added books to Mobi). When I dropped in the azw3 book I had just purchased it did not convert & I thought 'Oh-oh' but I manually set it to convert to mobi without problem & now have a readable Mobi on my ebook reader. So thank you very much!
Bought a new book from Amazon tonight. Didn't work for it. All my older books are fine as I converted them a while ago. Wondering if they have done something to update their DRM.
What about Mac users?
'This is a very tedious process, because you have to manually download each and every Kindle file you own. '
Correction: This is a very tedious process, because you have to manually download each and every Kindle file you have in your kindle library.Doesn't work for me. Installed plugin, dragged, it seems to be doing something, ok I can view the book, but it still says the file is azw and I don't see anything else besides the book in Calibare. Where is the pdf, and how do I save into it?
Did not work for a lot of my books, mostly those with the azw extension. azw3's seemed to convert OK. And yes they were all download from the same account. I really just want a way to rename/retag the ebooks so that series show up in order on the Kindle.
Thanks for the article. I have been after this method for a long time. Part of my 900 ebook collection comes from the mobipocket/Palm Treo days. My challenge is getting the collection to adapt as the tech changes. Many of my mobipocket reader library prc/mbp books are trapped in the reader, all are purchased from various vendors, but that was the Treo days.
An additional problem is the stability of app readers, stanza is oft-crashing, ibooks has acceptable workarounds and Adobe Digital Editions is meh.
I tried the Calibre method some time ago and it bottomed out, but advances have taken place and my collection is worthy of making another go of it.
I have purchased my entire collection, I respect authors and researchers enough to never share or steal, losing Palm was a huge eyeopener as was the amazon purchase of mobi-but not allowing drm mobi onto Kindles was like being held hostage.Thanks very much Erez. It worked just as you said. I live in an apartment with over 5,000 books of my and my family's books and we have around 150 ebooks. I definitely prefer to 'own' those ebooks the same as the physical books. Thanks again!
This worked and generated mobi files for about half my books. The other books come up 'locked by DRM' when I even try to read them. Even with the plugin installed. I'm confused, because it can convert some of the kindle files.
'Next, install Calibre. Just Next-Next-Next your way through the installer.' NEVER do this. And I mean NEVER. Most freeware now comes with additional 'junk' installers that will put CRAP on your computer, like RealPlayer, toolbars, and sometimes even SPYWARE. ALWAYS watch what you're doing while installing software.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
if you remove the DRM, and upload it to your kindle, when sync it will Amazon figure it out and close your account?
But what format should I convert it to that is both open and able to be read by kindle?
Worked like a charm for the 99% books I owned or got as free from amazon. Thanks for the workaround.
Does DRM apply to nook as well, is it just books bought from Amazon or does Barns and noble do it too?
thanksHave tried this before, this article prompted me to use the updated zip file. Still not working on a couple of books (DRM still intact). This is annoying as I bought the books to read on my wife's Kindle and she throws a wobbly when I want to access them. I know I can read them on my PC, but that's something I don't want to do, I spend enough time on it as it is.
I use and actually prefer PC-Kindle, however it's nice to know I now have a way of converting my local Kindle content to a form readable without the Kindle software. Case in point: For some reason unknown to me, my reader stopped functioning last month, and I was unable to continue reading a book (a tutorial) I was in the middle of. Fortunately, I was able to re-install, and the new installation recognized all of my content. BUT, I was in the middle of some work (using said book) and I would have been thoroughly irritated had I needed to download my entire library again. Having a .pdf backup at the time would have saved me some stressful moments.
This is why i don't buy ebooks from amazon. when i buy books, i'd like to own them and not own the license only. I like to control what i have bought and not give control to a company to delete the books i have purchased whenever they think we have violated their terms and conditions. I read about the last line in an article. A woman's entire kindle library was deleted just because they thought she violated some terms and conditions. and when amazon found that it was their mistake, they simply told the woman to buy those books again and was not recompensed in any way. So i want to thank you guys for providing us with this wonderful tutorial.
Please check your sources.
If you are talking about the same case that happened few months ago, that woman actually violated Amazon guidelines and contract. She had several accounts and was in clear violation of the Amazon terms. Amazon did not reinstated her account.
Though appropriate disclaimer has been written within the article, still I personally feel a reputed forum like MakeUseOf should not feature DRM removal techniques as there is a very line line separating DRM removal and piracy. However, this is wholly a personal opinion.
I don't think I'm doing anything wrong and followed each step. However, its not allowing me to convert any books. They're all still DRM. I'm using a Mac.
Any suggestion?
Thank so much!
AlAl, I had the same problem on my Mac. I couldn't get around it so I followed the instructions on my Windows machine, moved the Calibre Library folder to Dropbox, and now use the same library through Calibre on my Mac. If you don't have a Windows machine but do have Windows in Parallels or on Bootcamp, you could do much the same thing. It's not terribly convenient, but at least it works.
Thank you, Erez! Mike helped me solve the issue!
Great job, and thank you for sharing this great info.
Al
I guess I should find out how to do this with linux? Come on guys.. get real.. DRM does not exist if you do not use M$ or iM@c... We just sit back and giggle :)
You say In the Plugin window, click “Load plugin from file” (near the bottom of the window): but there is no such button
You say 'In the Plugin window, click “Load plugin from file” (near the bottom of the window)' however there is no such button in the current version of Calibre
Great! I'm tired of companies who decide how I should consume books
This is a silly justification of what is most definitely criminal/unethical behaviour.
Are you also tired of companies who only sell their printed books in trade-paperback format, instead of hardcover? Do you then rebind those paperbacks as hardbacks, huh?
Besides, you 'consume' an e-book via the reader (e.g. a Kindle) and not the DRM system which is (mostly) transparent. If, however, the best books are available only in DRM'ed Kindle versions and your beef is that you thus cannot read these e-books on any other device, then please pause to think why this is so: because DRM protects the income of the author and publisher - and we also need money to buy food.
Any drm info for video files from istore?
We have a Mac in the lounge and stream to the bedroom the problem is if we go away and want to take the hdd and play off a laptop... Thoughts?Re: DRM on Kindle books.
I can understand peoples need to OWN things, but as a lover of Books & reading I think that there is a miss conception of the use of e-books, the same as when publishers first started printing mass market Paperbacks, it does not diminish the value of a book, just makes them more available to all and e-books are a natural progression in doing this.
The DRM protects not only the author but all the other industries involved in printing books, I recently found a UK based book binders who have seen how e-books effect their industry and they are producing covers for e-readers which look like books http://www.klevercase.co.uk.
You can even get a Bible on an e-reader and who would want to have that as a PDF so they could print it?
If you want to OWN a printed book, then buy one.
I read a lot of books so the Kindle is an absolute god send for me, I do how ever still buy & OWN books, owning a Kindle has in fact made me more aware of the value of real Books and I have become an avid collector as I feel that real books in the future may be a rare thing.
I can't say I agree with you publishing the details of how to break the DRM on a Kindle, but I am pleased to see that you point out the legal & moral issues in doing this.
I love what you do and pass articles on via facebook all the time.
It's not merely an issue with 'owning' the book, but of reader preference as well. Even though I believe that stealing intellectual property is a cruel crime, I do prefer other readers to the Kindle app for a long list of reasons, and believe I should be able to access my ebooks in ways other than those dictated by the Kindle app designers.
Sam