Amazon will allow authors to offer their DRM-free ebooks 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. Authors who wish to change the DRM status of older books must log into the Kindle Direct Publishing portal and adjust the setting themselves. Amazon states that after an author updates an ebook’s DRM status, it can take up to 72 hours for the changes to appear on the website.
This new policy may actually encourage some authors to apply DRM to their ebooks. As one author noted in a community forum, while they previously avoided DRM to allow customers flexibility, the ability for readers to download a PDF may lead them to enable DRM on future works. Another forum member countered that this doesn’t fundamentally change privacy, as determined users could already convert DRM-free Kindle files using software.
Amazon describes the feature as making it easier for readers to enjoy purchased content. However, authors must opt in to open access for older works. To remove DRM, authors must acknowledge that customers will then be able to download the book as a PDF or EPUB file.
This shift contrasts with other recent Amazon actions. The company has been making it more difficult for Kindle owners to share or back up ebooks through increased DRM use. A software update for certain Kindle devices introduced a new DRM system that prevents ebook backups without jailbreaking the device. This followed an earlier removal of download and transfer options via USB, which frustrated many Kindle users.