Adobe Digital Editions uses the proprietary ADEPT(stands for Adobe Digital Experience Protection Technology) digital rights management scheme to encrypt the content. The Adobe Digital Editions DRM (abbreviate to Adobe DRM) is a protection against piracy that some publishers apply to their eBooks. If you want your purchased ebooks to be at your disposal, it is necessary for you to understand what is Adobe DRM and how to remove it from your ebooks.
1. What is Adobe DRM?
What is Adobe's ADEPT DRM?
ADEPT (Adobe Digital Experience Protection Technology) is the DRM (Digital Rights Management) system developed and used by Adobe to protect ebooks. For instance, Google Play books adopt this encryption scheme. Besides, Barnes & Noble (B&N) e-books are also protected with a variant of ADEPT.
In ADEPT, ebooks are encrypted with a book key (i.e. each digital copy of the same book is encrypted with the same key). The distributor picks this key, and encrypts the ebook using that key. At the same time, each user has his own user key. This key is generated when the user installs Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), and is uploaded to Adobe. With Adobe DRM, the software locks content to up to six machines and allows the user to view the content on each of them.
How to Download eBooks with Adobe DRM?
You probably have got some eBooks from the internet, or purchased some eBooks from Kobo, Google Play Books, and the publisher gave you ACSM files. ACSM (stands for Adobe Content Server Manager) is not an actual eBook but a link – a link to download the actual eBook in Adobe Digital Editions.
Adobe EPUB/PDF ebooks are protected by Adobe's digital rights management (DRM) system. To download content protected with Adobe DRM, you need the Adobe Digital Editions eBook viewer and authorize your computer using the Adobe ID before downloading them. For detailed instructions, you can follow this step-by-step guide to download ebooks with Adobe DRM.
Importance of getting rid of Adobe DRMThe purpose of DRM is to protect copyrighted works and restrict the use, modification, and distribution of copyrighted works. However, customers can’t enjoy the content they’ve paid for in the ways they wish. Such as putting content on personal devices, making backups, printing books, or making the most out of the contents by sharing them with others or editing the contents.
2. How to Remove Adobe DRM?
To remove Adobe DRM, you will need a DRM removal software. And the following is a step-by-step guide on how to remove Adobe DRM from ADE ebooks, which is applicable for both Windows and Mac users.
However, there are many different DRM encryption schemes applied to the ebooks downloaded via Adobe Digital Editions, which means that Adobe’s Adept DRM is not limited to one encryption scheme. And right now all current eBooks DRM Removal tools are only capable of dealing with ebooks purchased from major ebook vendors, like Google Play Books, Barnes & Noble, ebooks.com, Booktopia, and Kobo, etc… Next, we are going to show you how to remove Adobe DRM with all-purpose Epubor Ultimate.
NoticeRented books, library books, ebooks downloaded from campus libraries or other non-mainstream websites, etc, are not supported by Epubor software. If you happen to be able to decrypt such books, then you are lucky. But Epubor will not take responsibility for not being able to decrypt such files.
Step 1Download and install powerful Adobe DRM Removal -- Epubor Ultimate to your computer.
Step 2Remove Adobe DRM from Kobo/Google Play/Nook books.
1. Remove DRM from Google Play Books
Launch Epubor Ultimate, all your Google Play books downloaded via ADE are listed under the Adobe tab on the left sidebar of the software. To remove DRM from Google Play books, you just need to add your Google Play books from the left sidebar to the right main window.
TipsWhen the decryption is complete, there will be a Decrypted word to the right of the book title. And you can find the DRM-free file by clicking Decrypted.
2. Remove DRM from Kobo Books
You can follow the same procedure of removing DRM from Google Play books to remove DRM from Kobo books. As long as you have downloaded Kobo books via Adobe Digital Editions, Epubor Ultimate can auto-detect your files and display them under the Adobe tab in the left column of the software. All you need to do is drag and drop your files to the right main window to remove DRM.
TipsKobo books downloaded via Kobo for PC/Mac can also be decrypted by Epubor Ultimate.
Note: Kobo has partnered with many online bookstores, such as Booktopia, Bol.com, etc, all of them use the same DRM encryption scheme, so users can use Epubor Ultimate to decrypt ebooks that link to the Kobo account, too.
3. Remove DRM from Nook Books
Barnes & Noble (B&N) e-books are protected with a variant of Adobe DRM. So it takes more effort to remove Nook DRM. You need to enter your nook account and password in Epubor software to obtain the decryption key for your nook files first.
Then download Nook books via the Nook Windows App. Next, run Epubor Ultimate, add the nook books from the left column under the Nook tab to the right main window to remove DRM.
TipsIf you fail to remove Nook DRM at your first try, you should delete your all Nook books, log out your Nook account from the Nook app, and re-login the Nook app and redownload your Nook books. Then Nook DRM will be removed smoothly.
Hillary Lopez works for Epubor and writes articles about eBooks and eReaders. She explores the best method to help you read eBooks more freely and wants to share all she has got with you.
