Kindle users get blindsided by updates that end a popular ebook loophole and toughen DRM

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If you’re an avid ebook reader who uses a Kindle , we have some bad news for you. A couple of changes are rolling out that you probably won’t like. One involves Digital Rights Management (DRM), and the other concerns your Libby book loans.

Starting with the change to DRM, Amazon is pushing an update to the Kindle Oasis. As reported by The eBook Reader , the update makes it harder to remove DRM from Kindle ebooks. Now most DRM-removal tools will no longer work.

If you’re unfamiliar with DRM, it’s a technology that encrypts digital content. It’s used by publishers and copyright holders to control the use, modification, and distribution of a product. Although we don’t condone piracy, there are reasons why you may want to remove DRM. For example, if you want to read your Kindle ebook on a non-Kindle ereader.

This change brings the Oasis in line with other Kindles that have also received the toughened DRM. That leaves the Kindle Voyage as the last supported Amazon ereader without this new DRM.

The second update is closing a previous loophole for Libby book loans. This loophole previously allowed the user to keep the book that they borrowed past the due date. The loophole worked by simply turning on airplane mode.

Users are reporting on Reddit that they can no longer access their borrowed books while in airplane mode. According to the thread, these users are now being prompted to turn Wi-Fi on to access their books. Meaning that turning airplane mode on is no longer a viable solution for holding on to ebooks. You’ll be shocked to hear that these users aren’t taking the change very well.

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