The eBook DRM puts lots of restrictions on legitimate users and forces users to view the ebook on a single device or app. It also controls your usage and doesn’t allow you to share the books with others. In simple words, DRM (Digital Rights Management) limits the number of devices on which you can read ebooks.
Vendors like Amazon, Apple, and others have their ebook DRM that would allow you to read the book using the device or app specific to the vendors. Most of us would want to read ebooks on multiple devices, and during such cases, the most viable way to overcome this limited usability is by removing the DRM from ebooks.
Microsoft offers Digital Rights Update Tool, which removes DRM protection from WMA audio files. There are many other tools too that help you remove DRM protection from an ebook that you have purchased – and one among them is Calibre. It is a popular tool for ebook library management. Apart from just ebook management, the tools offer a wide range of plugins. Among them, the DeDRM plugin is the most popular one because it helps to remove the ebook DRM so that you can read your ebook on your favorite device. Calibre tool supports ebooks from different vendors like Amazon Kindle, PDF(ACSM), Kobo KEPUB, Amazon Kindle, and Google books.
Remove DRM from ebook using Calibre
There are many tools that help you remove DRM protection from an ebook that you have purchased and one among them is Calibre. It is a popular tool for ebook library management. Apart from just ebook management, the tools offer a wide range of plugins. Among them, the Calibre DeDRM plugin is the most popular one because it helps to remove the ebook DRM so that you can read your ebook on your favorite device. Calibre tool supports ebooks from different vendors like Amazon Kindle, PDF (ACSM), Kobo KEPUB, Amazon Kindle, and Google books.
Calibre tool cannot remove the ebook DRM, but you need to add a DRM removal plugin to strip the ebook DRM. Here is how you can strip DRM from ebook using Calibre plugin.
- Install Calibre and DeDRM plugin
- Strip the ebook DRM
In this article, we explain how to remove ebook DRM in Windows PC using Calibre DeDRM plugin.
1. Install Calibre and DeDRM plugin
Download the latest version of Calibre. Run the installer and select the type of eBook Reader you use. Choose the appropriate options to complete the installation.
Download the DeDRM plugin here.Add the DeDRM_ plugin.zip into Calibre.
Launch Calibre and navigate to Preferences tab from the menu bar.
Select the option Change Calibre behavior from the drop-down menu.
Go to Advanced section in a new window and click Plugins.
Click the Load plugin from file button and select the DeDRM_plugin zip folder. A pop-up window appears warning of security risk.
Ignore the risk and click Yes button.
The zip file will be installed into the Calibre and will appear under File type plugins.
Restart Calibre.
2. Strip the ebook DRM
If you have ebooks on your desktop, simply Drag and drop the ebooks into Calibre’s main interface. The tool will automatically remove DRM.
However, the steps aren’t the same if you have downloaded books to your Kindle e-ink devices.
If you’re using Kindle e-ink devices, connect Kindle to Calibre through USB. It will display all the book titles.
Go to Preferences and click Advanced.
Select Plugins and click the File type plugins button.
Double click on DeDRM plugin and click the Customize plugin button.
Select the option e-ink Kindle ebooks to configure in a new Customize DeDRM window.
In the new pop up window that appears, enter the Kindle serial number. You can find your Kindle serial number in Google by entering the serial location along with the Kindle model name.
Once you know the serial number, type it in the empty box and click Ok button.
Close the window, and in the Calibre Preferences Window click Apply.
The DRM will be removed automatically.
If the plugin fails to remove DRM, recover all the books from the library, reload the Calibre, and again add ebooks to the library. Also, Make sure you have installed the latest version of the plugin.
PavithraBhat@TWC
Pavithra is a Windows enthusiast, who loves keeping abreast with the latest in the world of technology.
