Amazon will allow authors to offer DRM-free e-books in EPUB and PDF formats through its self-publishing platform, Kindle Direct Publishing. Starting January 20, 2026, authors who choose to set their titles as DRM-free will have their books made available in these more open formats. The decision to use Digital Rights Management, a copyright protection mechanism, remains with the authors when they publish.
These changes will not automatically impact previously published titles. If authors wish to change the DRM status of older works, they must log into the Kindle Direct Publishing author portal and adjust the setting. This move may actually encourage some authors to apply DRM to their e-books. As one author noted, while they previously avoided DRM to allow easy sharing within a household, the new ability for readers to download books as PDFs might lead them to enable DRM on future titles.
Others have countered that this does not significantly increase piracy risk, as determined individuals could already convert existing DRM-free Kindle files into other formats using software. Amazon describes the new feature as making it easier for readers to enjoy purchased content, but authors must actively opt in to open access for their older works. To remove DRM, authors must acknowledge that customers will be able to download the book as a PDF or EPUB file.
In contrast, Amazon has recently made it more difficult for Kindle owners to share or back up their e-books through increased DRM use. A software update for certain Kindle devices introduced a new DRM system that prevents backing up e-books without jailbreaking the device. This followed an earlier removal of the download and transfer option via USB, which frustrated many users.
After an author updates their e-book’s DRM status, Amazon states the changes may take up to 72 hours to go live on their website.