PSA – Backing up your Kindle book collection

DISCLAIMER – Note I am not posting this is any way to advocate copyright infringement etc, merely for information for those that want to protect their investment

Another Kindles related post.

I thought this may be of interest to people with Kindles. One of the things that worries me about the Kindle is the fact that you’re at Amazon’s mercy when it comes to the books. If they suddenly decided to delete your account or if they went out of business (unlikely but nothing’s impossible) or you simply decided you wanted a Sony or a Kobo reader instead there is a danger you would lose all those books purchased from Amazon.

Well it is possible to download and convert you Amazon books into any format and also remove the copy protection so that you can keep all your purchases safe and ready to use on any device.

The instructions are here:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/01/how-to-strip-drm-from-kindle-e-books-and-others/

Its a little technical but I’ve managed to do it and now have my entire Amazon library backed up on my PC and under my control.

REMEMBER – You may be breaching various T&C’s if you choose to do this and may even die. This is a FOR INFORMATION only post.

If anyone gets stuck I may help out with some more INFORMATION ONLY responses.

Cheers

Danny B

Ah yes the books which you have rented from amazon market place.

Never rented a book, genuinely – didn’t know you could.

I tend to stock up on the daily deal, at least 2 or 3 a week appeal and at 99p a throw I have more books on there than I’ll ever possibly read.

Cheers

Danny B

Just use calibre and don’t buy from amazon, buy from wherever.

Doesnt the terms and conditions on your kindle state that you are merely renting the books with the money you pays.

Probably, sounds like the usual thing that gets stuck in T&C’s these days. As far as I can tell you don’t own anything as a consumer any more…

Cheers

Danny B

dannybgoode – Member
Never rented a book, genuinely – didn’t know you could.

I tend to stock up on the daily deal, at least 2 or 3 a week appeal and at 99p a throw I have more books on there than I’ll ever possibly read.
I think trail_rat was being slightly facetious, people who ‘purchace’ Kindle books from Amazon don’t generally realise that those books are basically rented, in that they only exist on the Kindle, or in the Kindle app, and Amazon can withdraw access any time it likes, for example, a deceased person can’t bequeath their Kindle to someone, Amazon will withdraw access to those books.
Hence your original post. It’s something I need to look into, as I’ve got quite a few books in my Kindle app, and it would be good to have them elsewhere, just in case.
Currently I have somewhere around 400 books on my pad in Kindle and iBooks apps.

@CZ – thanks for the clarification – makes sense now.

Definitely works – I’ve got a couple of hundred backed up this way.

Cheers

Danny B