The News

Amazon is killing the feature that let you download and backup books you purchased to a computer and then copy them manually to a Kindle over USB.

My Thoughts

My first e-reader I ever owned was a Kindle that I bought off of my sister since she didn't use it anymore. It felt great having access to so many books in such a small form factor, and especially whenever I went on vacation, the Kindle made a huge difference, since I was able to carry it in a small pocket, rather than having to cramp multiple books into a backpack or suitcase. Nevertheless, while I relied heavily on Amazon in the past, I wanted to disrupt this reliance on big tech and rather support more local and domestic services. So, I bought a Tolino from Thalia, and as I wanted to transfer the ebooks I bought through Amazon to my new e-reader, I got in confronted with DRM, digital rights management, for the first time. Since Amazon is using its own DRM on all of their ebooks, it's not possible to view Kindle books without a Kindle or the Kindle app.

However, I was still able to download the ebooks to my computer and then use a tool called Calibre, to deDRM those ebooks, so I was able to use them on my new e-reader. Starting on February 26th, 2025, Amazon is removing exactly that feature, so Kindle users are no longer able to download the ebooks to their computers.

Why does this matter?

If you use a Kindle and you buy an ebook through Kindle, you probably want to read it on your Kindle. Simple as that. But what if you want to switch to a different e-reader? What if you want to backup all your ebooks and transfer them to a different device, your preferred reading device? In case you are not downloading your Kindle books to your computer, you will not be able to do those things after February 26th. Basically, Kindle and therefore Amazon, is locking you in. You will have no chance to actually own the ebooks you bought through Amazon. What you have is a license to that book, only accessible through a Kindle.

Download your Kindle ebooks now to make sure you have access to them after February 26th.

Conclusion

For further information, thoughts, and opinions, I recommend watching this video by Jared Henderson, who found a lot of words that just feel right about this whole situation of Amazon keep locking in their users, and why it is important to support authors, artists, local booksellers, and ethical sites that sell ebooks.

Till next time! 👋‌‌‌‌

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