No more DRM-free downloads as Amazon's ComiXology app set to disappear inside Kindle
- Reference: 1642167851
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/01/14/comixology_kindle/
- Source link:
It looks as if Amazon subsidiary Iconology Inc – which trades as ComiXology – is finally being subsumed, eight years after [1]Bezos' behemoth bought the business .
Back in 2014, The Reg expressed concern that ComiXology's own dedicated comic-reading app might be replaced with the Kindle app, and that seems to be finally happening, at some as-yet unspecified time soon. Comixology's latest [2]blog post says that changes are coming in "early 2022."
[3]
We've confirmed that for now, it's still possible to download and install the ComiXology app and view comics through it.
[4]
[5]
Ominously, though, the login page urges customers to merge their accounts with their Amazon accounts, and the blog warns that the company's own app will be going away soon, linking to an [6]FAQ page on how to access and read ComiXology purchases in the Kindle app.
One small reassurance is that the Kindle app has now gained ComiXology's panel-by-panel "Guided View."
[7]Luxembourg judge hits pause on Amazon's daily payments of disputed $844m GDPR fine
[8]India takes Amazon’s biggest local e-tail alliance out of its shopping cart
[9]Midwest tornado destroys Amazon warehouse, killing six after worker 'told not to leave'
[10]Amazon fined €1.13bn by Italy's antitrust authorities for abusing its power
The more significant change, though, is that the company used to offer direct comics downloads from their website – at least, as long as the publisher agreed. Many did, and customers could download their purchases from those companies in PDF or CBX format, without copy-protection or Digital Rights Management.
For now, you can still do this, and if you have a significant library, we suggest that you do so PDQ. Soon purchasing is going to move to your friendly neighbourhood Amazon site, or within Amazon's fondleslab apps, and for new purchases made there, ComiXology's own DRM-free downloads are going away.
[11]
But all may not be lost. It's already possible to display your ComiXology titles in your Kindle library, and you can download ebooks from Amazon's [12]media and devices page onto your computer so that you can read them on a big screen or using a screen reader – which is a life-saver for those with low vision.
We've checked with a few freebie titles, and it worked fine. Titles without DRM could be read locally. Ones with the copy protection couldn't, but you can at least grab them to back them up.
Of course, this may change as Amazon, sarlacc-like, gradually digests ComiXology. The Reg will keep you posted. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2014/04/11/billing_battle_brews_as_amazon_buys_comixology/
[2] https://support.comixology.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407002667415?tid=E211008002&utm_source=comiXology+Digital+Comics+Newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=E211008002_UM_Sept1_David_Email
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YeGsSuWSuOf@J06bLieR5wAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YeGsSuWSuOf@J06bLieR5wAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YeGsSuWSuOf@J06bLieR5wAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://support.comixology.com/hc/en-us/articles/4410322607639
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/20/luxembourg_amazon_fine/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/20/amazon_future_coupons_approval_revoked/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/13/deadly_midwest_storms_destroy_amazon_warehouse/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/10/amazon_fined_italy/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YeGsSuWSuOf@J06bLieR5wAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/mycd/digital-console/contentlist/booksAll/dateDsc/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: I always keep local copies.
It's calibre and DeDRM, FFS!
Downvoted for your consume my...
Re: I always keep local copies.
It's a good thing you do, how long before Comics as a service rears it's ugly feckin' head?
It seems to me that one of the aspects of the New Normal is that you will never own anything but just keep paying for it forever.
Re: I always keep local copies.
Marvel already offer a digital-subscription service.
Easy to download your drm free backups
Grab the browser extension Downthemall. Go to your first backup page on the Comixology website and hit the downthemall button.
In the downthemall window there's a box labelled "fast filtering". Put either cbz or pdf (Depending on your preference) and hit the download button. I think it downloads to the default download location for your browser by default. Once it's done check the download folder to make sure it's worked and if it has repeat for every page.
Re: Easy to download your drm free backups
This might be worth a go as well: https://github.com/Cortys/comic-backup
DRM
Why is it that Digital Rights Management, never considers the rights of the customer. After all, without customers, they don't have a business.
Re: DRM
The customer has the right to pay for the license. If you want to own a book and not care about DRM then buy it in paper form. Or print it.
Before the downvote brigade comes, I hate DRM as much as any Reg reader, but there's a clear distinction between licensing and owning something. With digital media (software, music, movies, books and such) you just buy a license, you don't own said media.
Re: DRM
What are these "customers" you talk about?
In the brave new world of digital goods, there are only thieves, and thieves coaxed into paying. And thieves are not entitled to "rights", do they?
(wish I could use the Joke icon)
While we still let market leaders buy up the competition they can do what they like, because no alternative lasts very long.
Low cost NFTs minted on a 3rd gen blockchain and sent direct to customers. Theirs forever. Add a 2% kickback in the smart contract so the author/publisher gets a little money every time it is sold on.
No more reliance on Amazon or whoever.
(Notice: I'm involved with Cardano)
"the blog warns that the company's own app will be going away soon"
The oldest book in my library is dated 1676. It's still in pretty good nick and I can read it any time I want without forking out any dosh or waffling over access rights. There's a lot to be said for good solid paper and print, even if it's 'legacy'.
Oddly, although a legacy was once something you looked forward to inheriting, now it's apparently something you want to scrap.
A counterproductive nuisance?
DRM for eBooks is an irritation but nothing more than a circumventable nuisance.
People parting with money to obtain access to e-publications ought refuse to regard their payment as nothing more than rent. Tools exist to liberate e-books. Sooner the broad population becomes aware of this, the better. Rental of culture (both 'high' and 'low') is a business model best relegated to oblivion via mass user disobedience.
In another context, at least one leading publisher of academic journals offers non-subscribers an elaborate set of options. For a ridiculous sum they may purchase a copy and download it. For lesser sums they may 'rent' online access for specified times. Of course the savvy go off to Sci-Hub but presumably there are plenty of takers for purchase of ephemeral digital sequences and for the privilege of reading online.
I always keep local copies.
I paid for it, I'm keeping a copy of it, and there's SFA the other party can do to prevent me from using my property as I see fit.
Plug in the archive drive, copy files to primary drive, unplug archive drive, move copies from primary to SD card/other device, then start listening.
I use a rather well known bit of FOSS software to strip out the DRM, save the final version, and consume my purchased media any damned way, on any damned device, at any damned time I choose.
I'm not selling copies of my copies so you don't get to say what else I do with my copies. Now take your DRM & piss right off...