Amazon copyright protection changed for Kindle Direct's self-published e-books
3 days ago
- #e-books
- #Amazon
- #DRM
- Amazon will allow DRM-free e-books in EPUB and PDF formats via Kindle Direct Publishing starting January 20, 2026.
- Authors can choose DRM settings when publishing; existing titles remain unchanged unless manually updated.
- Some authors may now prefer enabling DRM to prevent PDF/EPUB downloads, despite prior DRM-free preferences.
- Amazon claims the change simplifies access for readers, but authors must opt-in for older works.
- Recent Kindle updates have increased DRM restrictions, complicating backups and sharing for users.
- DRM status changes take up to 72 hours to reflect on Amazon.com after author updates.