How to use iPad as a reader but avoid DRM?

[Let's Sekuhara!]

So the iPad is about to arrive and everyone is excited. Are you going to rush to the iTunes Store as soon as you get it and start downloading e-books? (Now called iBooks because Apple says so, and there aren't already enough products that start with i.)

Keep in mind that if you purchase an AAC file from the iTunes Store you can still rip it into an MP3, AIFF, etc. Or better yet, you can buy the CD in lossless quality and do the same.

Similarly if you don't like Apple's DRM on your movies you can buy a DVD, rip it into an MP4 with Handbrake, and drop it into your iTunes library.

What will be the alternative for somebody who wants to go paperless but is opposed to being shackled into the DRM model?
Are there vendors selling DRM-free eBooks? Is there software (for Mac) that can strip DRM from files in the EPUB format? I refuse to buy a single "iBook" until I have a solution.

 

[goobot]

Yes i belive you can strip it. Also there a lot o sites with free ebooks and free ebooks on itunes its self

 

[avaloncourt]

What will be the alternative for somebody who wants to go paperless but is opposed to being shackled into the DRM model?

There are solutions readily available for nearly all common formats to remove DRM. You can strip off the encryption from EPUB (Adobe Digital Editions / Overdrive [which libraries use]), Adobe encrypted PDF (Adept), MOBI, Kindle version of MOBI (AZW), and Microsoft Mobile Reader. Do a torrent search for DRM Removal and you'll find a lot of bundled removal tools. Just look for the most recent and most complete.

Are there vendors selling DRM-free eBooks?

Yes there are. Fictionwise and many others have non-DRM books but most publishers require DRM. So, just get an EPUB DRM book and strip off the encryption. EPUB is really simple to remove.

Is there software (for Mac) that can strip DRM from files in the EPUB format?

Yes, most of the tools are universal. They're Python scripts so it doesn't matter what the platform. Just be aware that you won't be able to (for now) strip the DRM from Apple's own EPUBs because it's a new, unique format.

I refuse to buy a single "iBook" until I have a solution.

Plenty of solutions out there.

This is a very recent thread on Kindle book DRM removal:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/886095/

 

[GregGebhardt]

Alot of utilities are already out, but just give it some time and someone will break all the rules!

 

[EssentialParado]

It's funny. In a way, Apple are singlehandedly ridding the world of DRM.

Consider what happened with music. Apple became so dominating in both selling the music and the music players that nobody could shop anywhere else. The only way the music industry could break free was to allow another store to sell their music, but obviously there wasn't a single DRM solution that could work, except for no DRM at all. Next came the DRM-free Amazon music store, and shortly thereafter DRM was gone from iTunes.

Who wants to bet the iPad and iBook stores become dominating and this happens all over again with ebooks?

 

[Scarpad]

So the iPad is about to arrive and everyone is excited. Are you going to rush to the iTunes Store as soon as you get it and start downloading e-books? (Now called iBooks because Apple says so, and there aren't already enough products that start with i.)

Keep in mind that if you purchase an AAC file from the iTunes Store you can still rip it into an MP3, AIFF, etc. Or better yet, you can buy the CD in lossless quality and do the same.

Similarly if you don't like Apple's DRM on your movies you can buy a DVD, rip it into an MP4 with Handbrake, and drop it into your iTunes library.

What will be the alternative for somebody who wants to go paperless but is opposed to being shackled into the DRM model?
Are there vendors selling DRM-free eBooks? Is there software (for Mac) that can strip DRM from files in the EPUB format? I refuse to buy a single "iBook" until I have a solution.

In the last 2 days I've put 240 ebooks into Itunes, I have about 500 more to do.

 

[samcraig]

It's funny. In a way, Apple are singlehandedly ridding the world of DRM.

Consider what happened with music. Apple became so dominating in both selling the music and the music players that nobody could shop anywhere else. The only way the music industry could break free was to allow another store to sell their music, but obviously there wasn't a single DRM solution that could work, except for no DRM at all. Next came the DRM-free Amazon music store, and shortly thereafter DRM was gone from iTunes.

Who wants to bet the iPad and iBook stores become dominating and this happens all over again with ebooks?

With only 60,000 iBooks at launch (and I believe 30K were in the public domain anyway through PG) - the iBookstore has a long ways to go before it can dominate or even come close to the selection that Amazon and Barnes&Noble have.

So while the iPad might dominate as a device. For a long time coming, the Kindle App and Nook App are most likely going to be the eReading App of choice

 

[Let's Sekuhara!]

Thanks for the great replies, people!
I guess DRM is not quite the menace I thought it would be. Still a pain in the ass, but not the end of the world.

I'll probably start scouring for public domain titles and once I've collected enough of those to justify buying an iPad (or once there is an easy DRM removal tool for Mac, whichever comes first) then I'll cave in and buy it. Who knows, maybe by that time it'll be the second gen model and will include an iSight. That would be really nice.

 

[Jack136]

You can make it

Of course you can strip the DRM on iBook, wish you goog luck.