Amazon is eradicating a key characteristic for older Kindles seemingly to stamp out piracy

Amazon made waves final week when die-hard Kindle followers found that the company was removing a tool that allow you to obtain Kindle books you already personal to your PC. The characteristic, referred to as “Obtain & Switch through USB” helps you to select the Kindle you intend on transferring a e-book to, downloads the e book file to your PC, after which join your Kindle to switch it.

The characteristic primarily exists to allow you to add new books to Kindles that may now not connect with Amazon’s defunct Whispernet community and haven’t got the {hardware} to hook up with Wi-Fi, but it surely’s additionally step one anybody attempting to take away the DRM from their Kindle books takes to transform them right into a file format that may be learn on different e-readers. Cracking down on a type of piracy reasonably than simply ending assist for older Kindles looks as if the actual motive Amazon is making this transformation.

Eradicating Obtain & Switch through USB removes a hyperlink within the piracy chain

Whereas additionally sunsetting an older class of Kindle

When Amazon first launched the Kindle in 2007, Wi-Fi networks weren’t practically as considerable, free, or quick as they’re now. The corporate needed to supply a method to make downloading new books as simple as doable, no matter the place you have been, so it included mobile connectivity by a characteristic referred to as “Whispernet.” Kindles with Whispernet might entry the Kindle Retailer no matter the place they have been — if you happen to might get a 3G sign, you would obtain a e-book.

Amazon would finally give Kindles the flexibility to hook up with Wi-Fi networks, making 3G connectivity a premium feature. And with the fifth-generation Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon gave up on the characteristic fully, focusing solely on downloading books from a house community or your native espresso store. The era of Kindles that may’t connect with Wi-Fi or Whispernet wanted a method to get new books, so Amazon provided Obtain and Switch through USB as an answer. Round 2015, trendy Kindles switched to a brand new proprietary file format for ebooks called KFX, however ebooks you get from Obtain & Switch through USB come within the older AZW3 file sort. AZW3 information can’t solely be learn by older Kindles, they’re additionally a lot simpler to transform right into a DRM-free e book.

Piracy is not authorized, however the need to have a DRM-free e book just isn’t unreasonable. You paid for the e-book, even if you happen to technically paid lower than you’ll for a hardcover. It makes a specific amount of sense that it is best to be capable of learn it wherever you need. Amazon, which is within the enterprise of promoting books and issues to learn books on, clearly disagrees. Kindle customers have till February 26 to make use of Obtain & Switch through USB, in keeping with a warning above the characteristic on Amazon’s web site, supplying you with a few week to make your peace with the change.

It is uncommon to really personal one thing digital

And it would not look like that is going to alter anytime quickly

Books aren’t the one digital product the place you will discover this downside. It applies in the identical method to video games, motion pictures, and TV reveals, too. Every thing is licensed until you’ve gotten a bodily copy, and even then, if it is a online game, you may not have a last or full model. There are causes exterior of piracy to need to maintain on to copies of your Kindle books, like stopping Amazon from eradicating a e-book from its service or altering its cowl after the very fact, but it surely appears fairly clear the corporate is concentrated on stopping what it views as piracy above all else.

When you’re seeking to get extra management over your Kindle, Pocket-lint has guides on how to jailbreak it, and an article the cheapest ways to get ebooks. You may not personal something you learn, however you may at the least have extra of a say in what you learn and the way you learn it.