Can anyone find even one DRM-free ebook on Amazon Kindle?
All Tor books (the publisher, not the privacy tool) are DRM free.
Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
171–180 of 356 posts
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#172How many books are actually available DRM-free? This reads a bit like "Amazon will provide free land, construct a paddock and provide feed for life if you order a unicorn, except unicorns don't exist".
It's not exactly nothing, but it's a pretty small change . Some publishers sell DRM-free on other platforms, and to be honest I was under the impression Amazon used to allow this in the past as well.
Of course if they really believed in the concept they would publish their own works DRM-free, but that would conflict with the business model of the publishing arm.
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#173I’d advise anyone buying e-books on Amazon to think it through carefully. My account was banned recently because, years ago, I ordered two paper books that Amazon said would be split into two shipments. Both books arrived without any issues, but later Amazon refunded me for one of them, claiming that one package never arrived. This happened 4–5 years ago. Apparently, during a recent review, they decided this counted…
> I appealed the decision, but I’ve been waiting for over six months with no resolution.
Sue them.
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#174As the author of five books (and my most recent one entirely self-published), I haven't yet worked out how I feel about this or how to respond. My current compromise is to charge more on the DRM-free LeanPub.
How do you evaluate if the DRM is working as intended?
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
A friend of mine received a double shipment for a $300 order. Being honest, he contacted customer service to arrange a return. Everything seemed fine until a few days later when he noticed they had also refunded his original payment. He reached out again to let them know, and they said they’d just recharge his card. Apparently, that transaction failed (no clear reason why), and without any warning, they banned his ac…
I wonder just like retailers are required to account for local sales taxes (I know it is not that clear cut), there should be some enforcement mechanism to settle disputes locally. Setup an agency which "legally" provides support for google, Amazon, and all those unreachable entities. Provides local jobs as well as quick grievance redressal. Maybe something like consumer protection agency but not federal, maybe at le…
The solution to authoritarian problems is to organize.
In this case, we're overdue for a service that we all pay into, like a collective credit card, that only continues making payments to companies like Amazon if all of the members are happy. When you get banned without due process, payments stop until the matter is resolved.
Also, the collective can bargain-down rates. If it senses price increases beyond inflation, it just sends the adjusted amount, like 95%, until the matter is resolved.
We need this collective bargaining for housing (like tenant unions), the workplace, politics, pharmaceuticals, etc. The scale of this is so large that the collective could exist beyond any specific industry. So that it would operate as a meta economy beside the so-called free market economy (late-stage capitalism) that we operate under today due to the lack of antitrust enforcement.
Groups like the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) are working towards these sorts of goals on a number of fronts:
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#176Earlier quoted context omitted.
All books published by Tor are DRM-free.
...in the US. I tried to buy an ebook of the Stormlight Archive from Australia and was sad to discover that DRM-free versions were not available.
And most of Europe, and the rest of the world, where the eBook is offered directly from Tor.
It looks like distribution in the UK, Australia and New Zealand (only?) is from the imprint Gollancz, who has decided to go with DRM versions.
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#177I’d advise anyone buying e-books on Amazon to think it through carefully. My account was banned recently because, years ago, I ordered two paper books that Amazon said would be split into two shipments. Both books arrived without any issues, but later Amazon refunded me for one of them, claiming that one package never arrived. This happened 4–5 years ago. Apparently, during a recent review, they decided this counted…
I buy all my ebooks. I search DRM free, if there is DRM only I'll buy it the cheapest I can then download it from Annas Archive. I like to support authors but I need to own what I buy.
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#178This is a step in the right direction. Now publishers need to take it up.
DRM-free is a precondition for me buying digital books personally. Practically no major digital bookstore offers it.
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#179Too little too late, already ditched the whole ecosystem after so many years and devices.
The only previous option was not paying for books. This change at least creates the potential for a path to pay for books, if publishers accept it.
Re: Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks
#180I’d advise anyone buying e-books on Amazon to think it through carefully. My account was banned recently because, years ago, I ordered two paper books that Amazon said would be split into two shipments. Both books arrived without any issues, but later Amazon refunded me for one of them, claiming that one package never arrived. This happened 4–5 years ago. Apparently, during a recent review, they decided this counted…
I always find it surprising that apparently it is easy to BAN someone's account but nobody has the power to UNBAN.
But I suppose when you get to the size of Amazon a million bans becomes a statistic...