I’ve been tinkering with a piece of software called Calibre, which is designed to convert ebook formats. For example, EPub ebooks won’t run on Kindle (and that’s what Waterstone’s sell), but Calibre will convert (but see below), them to a format which will.
There are a bunch of other possible conversions, too, but that’s the one that interests me most for now.
Calibre has preferences when it comes to conversions. This, in decreasing order of preference, is what it prefers LIT, MOBI, EPUB, HTML, PRC, RTF, PDB, TXT, PDF.
It follows, then, that to convert EPub for Kindle use, the optimum destination format is MOBI (which Kindle has native support for). There’s a problem – before you rush off to Waterstone’s to download books – Digital Rights Management, which affects all ebooks sold by Waterstone’s, and others too, gets in the way.
I’m presently researching this, because the DRM code has to be stripped, which isn’t legal in some countries – I hate buggering about with code and, to be honest, it looks like more trouble that it’s worth.
There’s also the question of whether it’s legal or not which, given the recent change in UK law it might be. It might be simplest and safest just to stick with Amazon and online freebies
Anyway, especially if you’re an ebook novice like me, and you’re also waiting for your Kindle, do check back, as I’ll post whatever I find out here, but be advised that if it turns out not to be legal, I’m not getting involved. Call me a pussy, but I value my ability to be online too much – I’ll not do anything to jeopardise that – often it’s my only access to the outside world.
The things is, though, even the concept of DRM is pissing me off, because it starts from the assumption that we’re all thieves, and it’s very existence makes people live up – or down – to that assumption.
My view is that just like a print book, once I’ve paid for an ebook it’s mine, and I should be free to do whatever I like with it short breaching copyright law. There is no real justification for DRM on ebooks.
In the meantime, I recommend reading this post for a DRM 101 (sort of).
[...] Original post by Ron [...]