This change comes after Amazon informed authors and publishers that they would have full control over the management of digital rights for their works. The decision, announced in December and effective from January 20, 2026, opens the door to much more flexible use of ebooks purchased on Kindle, although it has also raised concerns within some sectors about the potential increase in unauthorized copies.
What exactly has changed in DRM-free Kindle books?
Until now, Amazon's policy was that DRM-protected ebooks could only be read on Kindle apps and devices, with no official option to convert or easily transfer them to other devices. The new policy allows the owners of each work to decide whether to maintain this protection or disable it so that readers can access the file in standard formats.
With the new configuration, anyone who buys a book whose publisher or author has chosen not to apply DRM can download the title as an EPUB or PDF file . These files can be saved to a computer, an e-reader from another brand, a tablet, or a mobile phone, without relying on the Kindle app or Amazon's own devices. This flexibility makes it easier to read them on devices outside the Kindle ecosystem.
The platform clarifies that this change does not alter the economic model: the royalty system and payments to rights holders remain unchanged. Whether or not a book is protected by DRM does not affect the rates received by authors and publishers, something that is key for many creators when making a decision.
Another important point is that the control is neither permanent nor irreversible. From their KDP author account, those responsible for a work can activate or deactivate DRM at any time. If they choose to leave the book unprotected, those who purchase it will be able to obtain the EPUB and PDF files; if they later reactivate DRM, new downloads in those formats will no longer be offered, although those who have already downloaded them will retain access to those files.
How to download Kindle ebooks without DRM in EPUB or PDF format
For those who regularly read in Spain or other European countries, the process for downloading a Kindle ebook in open format is done directly through your Amazon account. The first step is to go to the website, log in, and hover over your username to access the "Digital Content and Devices" option.
Within that section, go to "Content Library" and then to the "Books" tab. There you'll find a complete list of all your purchased titles. If any of them are available without DRM, clicking "More actions" will display the "Download EPUB/PDF" option. Selecting this option will generate the corresponding file for you to save to your device.
This feature allows you to read books without the Kindle app , which is especially useful if you use e-readers from other brands or alternative reading apps. Specialized media outlets indicate that publishers such as Drachenmond, Hidden Gnome Publishing, and Fabylon have already begun allowing these unprotected downloads for certain titles.
Currently, one of the system's less polished aspects is the lack of a clear way to check before purchase whether a specific book will be available without DRM. For now, the only way to find out is to buy the title and then check the content library to see if the EPUB or PDF download option appears.
Limitations: Kindle Unlimited, lending, and other temporary access
Not all Amazon users can benefit equally from downloadable DRM-free Kindle ebooks . The company has established a clear barrier regarding temporary access to digital content.
Those who read through services like Kindle Unlimited, the lending system , or other subscription models will not have access to the EPUB or PDF files, even if the work is published without DRM. In these cases, reading will continue within the Kindle environment, and the downloadable file will not be offered.
The reason is simple: Amazon wants to prevent the creation of a permanent, open-format copy during a loan or limited-access period, a copy that could circulate uncontrollably. This restriction affects users who "borrow" books, but not those who purchase them traditionally, who can benefit from the new system if the title is free of copyright protection.
In practice, this means that the same book can be handled differently depending on the access method. A reader who buys it outright can, if the publisher has so decided, download the EPUB or PDF , while another user who reads the same title via Unlimited will remain tied to Amazon's reading ecosystem.
How do authors and publishers manage DRM on Kindle?
For creators, the change introduced by Amazon means greater flexibility in protecting their digital works. Authors and publishers can decide, title by title, whether or not to activate digital rights management when publishing or updating their books on the platform.
For ebooks released from now on, the process is relatively simple: in the Kindle Direct Publishing workflow, content creators can select the "DRM-Free" option before making the book available for sale. In that case, the title becomes eligible to offer downloads in EPUB and PDF formats without copy protection.
The situation changes slightly with older catalogs. For works published before December 9, 2025, Amazon requires publishers to manually convert the files if they want to activate DRM-free mode. It's not a particularly complex process, but it does require time and resources, so some publishers might think twice before adapting their entire backlist.
In any case, the company has emphasized that all books in the Kindle Store are potentially candidates for DRM-free availability if their owners so choose. It has also enabled automatic conversion options for new releases, making it easier for newly published works to reach the market without this layer of protection, should that be the decision.
For now, adoption seems uneven. Some small, independent publishers see this as a way to expand their readership and offer a more open experience, while many large publishers continue to rely on traditional copy protection and are reluctant to abandon DRM on Kindle.
Author reactions and piracy risks
Amazon's decision has sparked intense debate among authors, publishers, and readers . Forums like the KDP Community have featured a wide range of opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of relaxing technical restrictions on ebooks.
Some writers appreciate that opening up access to standard formats allows them to reach more readers and more devices . For this group, offering DRM-free Kindle ebooks is a way of siding with consumers, who increasingly demand more freedom to manage their digital purchases and read them wherever they prefer.
Others, however, view the change with some misgivings. Some authors, after years of publishing without DRM to facilitate reading at home, are now considering reactivating it. One of the most common concerns is the possibility that downloadable PDF or EPUB files will end up circulating without authorization on download sites, social media, or even be re-uploaded to the platform itself as if they were new content.
Some members of the community point out, however, that even before this update, external tools already existed that could convert Kindle files to other formats when they lacked protection, so the real impact of the change might be less than it seems. For these users, the measure simply acknowledges a practice that was already technically possible, but which is now officially sanctioned by Amazon.
At the heart of the debate lies an old argument in the digital publishing world: the search for a balance between facilitating legitimate access to content and reasonably protecting copyright against piracy. The arrival of DRM-free Kindle ebooks has brought this issue back to the forefront of the conversation.
What is Digital Rights Management (DRM) in ebooks
Digital rights management (DRM) is a technology designed to control access to and use of works in digital format. It is used for all types of content, from music and films to video games, but in the case of ebooks, its effect is especially noticeable in how we can read and share the titles we purchase.
In the Kindle environment, applying DRM to an ebook means that the file can only be opened in apps and devices compatible with the Amazon platform. This limits the ability to copy the file, move it freely between devices, or read it on e-readers that are not part of the company's ecosystem, unless specific conversion tools are used.
When a book is published without DRM, the downloaded file in formats like EPUB or PDF behaves more like a standard document without technical restrictions . The user can save it, make backups, transfer it between devices, and, in practice, manage it more freely, always within the legal limits of copyright.
By now allowing DRM-free ebooks as an option in its store, Amazon is trying to bring the ebook experience closer to that of physical books . The company's idea is that if someone can lend a physical book to a family member or friend, it would make sense for the purchased digital version to also be easily shared, although this point remains delicate due to the potential for mass distribution on the internet.
In Europe, this entire debate is also framed within a regulatory context in which there is increasing discussion about interoperability, content portability and consumer rights in the digital environment, which adds pressure on large platforms like Amazon to adapt their policies.
A prudent change of course in the Kindle ecosystem
Since January 20th, a significant change has been implemented in the Kindle environment , breaking with one of the company's most steadfast traditions: maintaining very strict copy protection across virtually its entire catalog. The measure, announced in December, comes largely in response to requests from many users who demanded more freedom in managing their purchases.
Amazon, however, is proceeding cautiously. Everything suggests that the company has no intention of mass-promoting DRM-free books , but rather of making the tool available to those publishers and authors who genuinely want to use it. Existing books in the store can be adapted to this new model, but the manual conversion effort will likely lead many companies to only consider applying it to a portion of their catalog.
For readers in Spain and the rest of Europe, this new feature opens up a range of possibilities for building a more open digital library , combining books purchased on Kindle with others from different stores and reading them on their preferred device. At the same time, the subscription and lending system remains under a more closed model, ensuring that temporary access does not translate into uncontrolled, permanent copies.
The result is a hybrid scenario in which DRM-protected titles coexist with completely open books , conservative editorial decisions coexist with riskier bets from small publishers, and readers who remain loyal to the Kindle app coexist with others who take advantage of the new option to carry their ebooks to any device.
Everything suggests that the evolution of DRM-free Kindle e-books will depend largely on how publishers respond, on pressure from readers, and on how the European market and regulations on digital content continue to push towards more interoperable and user-friendly models.
