Post updated on 22nd March, 2013
Mar 16, 2020.
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 and above.
The simplest way to remove the DRM from your ebooks is to use calibre and the DeDRM calibre plugin, as described in my post DeDRM plugin for calibre: the simplest option for removing DRM from most ebooks. If you don’t want to use calibre, for whatever reason, here is an alternative.
The DeDRM application identifies an ebook’s format, and then removes the DRM from that ebook by running the appropriate DRM removal python script.
Installing the DeDRM Application
Mac OS X 10.4 only: Install Python 2.7.3
- Download Python 2.7.3 from python.org and, if necessary, mount the disk image file by double-clicking it.
- Run the Python.mpkg application from the disk image, accepting all defaults.
Install the DeDRM application
- Download the latest tools zip archive (link in this post).
- Unzip the tools archive (by double-clicking it).
- Open the folder “DeDRM_Application_Macintosh” that’s in the unzipped tools folder.
- Read the “DeDRM ReadMe.rtf” file that’s in the “DeDRM_Application_Macintosh” folder!
- Drag the “DeDRM.app” application to your “Applications” folder or wherever is convenient for you.
- If you wish, drag the “DeDRM.app” application into your Dock to make is easily accessible.
Using the DeDRM Application
To remove DRM from a Kindle for Mac or an Adobe Digital Edition ebook, just drag & drop the ebook file onto the application when it is not running.
For other ebooks, you will need to enter some extra information. Run the DeDRM application by double-clicking it to access the configuration dialogs.
To remove DRM from several ebooks or folders of ebooks at once, just drag & drop the files and folders onto the DeDRM application when it is not running.
Download Calibre 64 For Windows 10
Notes
eReader ebooks: The output from an encrypted eReader file is a .pmlz zip file of the unencypted PML and images. If you have DropBook, a free application available from http://www.ereader.com/ereader/software/browse.htm installed on your Mac, DropBook will be used to also produce an unencrypted eReader file. Sometimes there are problems compiling the decode PML file using DropBook. In such a case, Calibre can also import the PMLZ file and convert to other formats. N.B. The DropBook application will not run on Mac OS X 10.7 and later.
Amazon Topaz ebooks: Some Amazon Kindle ebooks are in a format known as Topaz. This AppleScript will remove the DRM from the Topaz files, but to allow the file to be converted into other formats, the Topaz format must be converted during the de-drming process. The end result is that you end up with two files from one Topaz format ebook. One is the text (& pictures) of the book in HTML format created from the OCR text that’s stored in the Topaz file. Another is a set of SVG page images which very closely resemble the pages of the book the Topaz file was created from. For most purposes, you’ll only need the HTML file, but if the OCR is poor, you might want to unzip the folder of SVG images to check the pages or convert them to an image based PDF file.
Anti-Piracy Notice
Please only use this application for gaining full access to your own ebooks for archiving/converson/convenience. De-drmed ebooks should not be uploaded to open servers, torrents, or other methods of mass distribution. No help will be given to people doing such things. Authors, retailers and publishers all need to make a living, so that they can continue to produce books for us to read. Don’t be a parasite.
Calibre 4.0
About the Macintosh DeDRM Application
This application is written in AppleScript, and can be opened and edited using the AppleScript Script Editor.
— Alf.