5 ms·

Since I disapprove of Amazon's DRM policy, the only books on my kindle are tech books from O'Reilly (DRM-free) and fiction from Project Gutenburg (DRM-free) I

Since I disapprove of Amazon's DRM policy, the only books on my kindle are tech books from O'Reilly (DRM-free) and fiction from Project Gutenburg (DRM-free) I know I could download ebooks from Amazon and just remove their DRM, but I think it's better to vote with my wallet. After all, they sell the Kindle at cost and rely on you buying books from them to make any profit. So don't buy their books and maybe they'll learn..

RexRollman 14y ago
Some books on Amazon are DRM free. The publisher is the one who decides if they want to use it.
- listic 14y ago
  How do you see which books are DRM-free before purchase?
  - noste 14y ago
    At least some books mention that "At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied." in the book description field. For example: http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Cinema-ebook/dp/B0089LOEBS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1351023851&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Cinema-ebook/dp/B0089LOEBS/ref=...
    - donniezazen 14y ago
      Is there a way to tell if this book has DRM? http://www.amazon.com/Neuroscience-Exploring-the-Brain-ebook/dp/B008QWSV2S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351042693&sr=1-1&keywords=neuroscience+exploring+the+brain http://www.amazon.com/Neuroscience-Exploring-the-Brain-ebook...
      - jbrechtel 14y ago
        Yes. This part in the details section: "Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 4 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits" means that it has DRM.
  - bduerst 14y ago
    This I would also like to know.
- oneandoneis2 14y ago
  Yeah, but even if they're DRM-free Amazon can still take them away - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4682392 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4682392 Until they offer a cast-iron, legally-binding guarantee that any ebook I buy from them cannot be taken away from me, they don't get my money. If I buy a book, it's my book: If the bookshop I bought it from takes it back, then that's theft. As far as I'm concerned, the same holds true for ebooks. I buy it, it's mine. Period. Until Amazon agrees with me, I don't buy their ebooks. It's that simple.
  - mapleoin 14y ago
    They can't take them away from you if you backup your DRM-free books on a different media.
    - vadman 14y ago
      Why should the grandparent jump through the hoops though? Also, isn't stripping DRM from Amazon ebooks against the TOS? Potentially exposing him/her to some legal trouble?
      - nodata 14y ago
        O'Reilly will put your ebooks into your Dropbox folder if you let them. Amazon could do that. Problem solved. Link: http://shop.oreilly.com/category/customer-service/dropbox.do http://shop.oreilly.com/category/customer-service/dropbox.do
      - mhurron 14y ago
        Backups are 'jumping through hoops' now? As others have said, breaking the DRM for personal uses (backups, changing devices) should be perfectly legal in the US and probably most of Europe as well.
listic 14y ago
How do you buy DRM-free tech books from O'Reilly?
- oneandoneis2 14y ago
  All O'Reilly ebooks are DRM-free. http://shop.oreilly.com/category/ebooks.do http://shop.oreilly.com/category/ebooks.do
  - listic 14y ago
    Are they if I buy them through Amazon?
    - oneandoneis2 14y ago
      Dunno - I don't buy ebooks from Amazon. See above :) More to the point - why would you?? Going via Amazon is just adding one extra step to a transaction. Buy direct.
    - pasbesoin 14y ago
      Buy them directly from O'Reilly. Tim O'Reilly and crew were early and full-throated in their support for DRM-free content, and they deserve your support. You can also watch one of their pages/blogs (it used to have an RSS feed, too, IIRC) for frequent sales, if you are looking for discounted prices.
    - johnrgrace 14y ago
      They don't have DRM
  - johnrgrace 14y ago
    And you can resell their DRM free ebooks. Just let that sink in for a minute.
    - cynwoody 14y ago
      Do they make you promise not to resell a book more times than you bought it?

RexRollman 14y ago

Some books on Amazon are DRM free. The publisher is the one who decides if they want to use it.

listic 14y ago
How do you see which books are DRM-free before purchase?
- noste 14y ago
  At least some books mention that "At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied." in the book description field. For example: http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Cinema-ebook/dp/B0089LOEBS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1351023851&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Cinema-ebook/dp/B0089LOEBS/ref=...
  - donniezazen 14y ago
    Is there a way to tell if this book has DRM? http://www.amazon.com/Neuroscience-Exploring-the-Brain-ebook/dp/B008QWSV2S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351042693&sr=1-1&keywords=neuroscience+exploring+the+brain http://www.amazon.com/Neuroscience-Exploring-the-Brain-ebook...
    - jbrechtel 14y ago
      Yes. This part in the details section: "Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 4 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits" means that it has DRM.
- bduerst 14y ago
  This I would also like to know.
oneandoneis2 14y ago
Yeah, but even if they're DRM-free Amazon can still take them away - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4682392 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4682392 Until they offer a cast-iron, legally-binding guarantee that any ebook I buy from them cannot be taken away from me, they don't get my money. If I buy a book, it's my book: If the bookshop I bought it from takes it back, then that's theft. As far as I'm concerned, the same holds true for ebooks. I buy it, it's mine. Period. Until Amazon agrees with me, I don't buy their ebooks. It's that simple.
- mapleoin 14y ago
  They can't take them away from you if you backup your DRM-free books on a different media.
  - vadman 14y ago
    Why should the grandparent jump through the hoops though? Also, isn't stripping DRM from Amazon ebooks against the TOS? Potentially exposing him/her to some legal trouble?
    - nodata 14y ago
      O'Reilly will put your ebooks into your Dropbox folder if you let them. Amazon could do that. Problem solved. Link: http://shop.oreilly.com/category/customer-service/dropbox.do http://shop.oreilly.com/category/customer-service/dropbox.do
    - mhurron 14y ago
      Backups are 'jumping through hoops' now? As others have said, breaking the DRM for personal uses (backups, changing devices) should be perfectly legal in the US and probably most of Europe as well.

listic 14y ago

How do you buy DRM-free tech books from O'Reilly?

oneandoneis2 14y ago
All O'Reilly ebooks are DRM-free. http://shop.oreilly.com/category/ebooks.do http://shop.oreilly.com/category/ebooks.do
- listic 14y ago
  Are they if I buy them through Amazon?
  - oneandoneis2 14y ago
    Dunno - I don't buy ebooks from Amazon. See above :) More to the point - why would you?? Going via Amazon is just adding one extra step to a transaction. Buy direct.
  - pasbesoin 14y ago
    Buy them directly from O'Reilly. Tim O'Reilly and crew were early and full-throated in their support for DRM-free content, and they deserve your support. You can also watch one of their pages/blogs (it used to have an RSS feed, too, IIRC) for frequent sales, if you are looking for discounted prices.
  - johnrgrace 14y ago
    They don't have DRM
- johnrgrace 14y ago
  And you can resell their DRM free ebooks. Just let that sink in for a minute.
  - cynwoody 14y ago
    Do they make you promise not to resell a book more times than you bought it?