Amazon has announced that, beginning January 20, 2026, Kindle content designated as DRM-free will be available for readers to download freely in EPUB or PDF format. Until now, Kindle books have primarily used the AZW format, assuming usage within the Kindle app or on Kindle devices. With this change, readers will gain a more flexible reading experience. This represents a major turning point in the world of digital publishing.
The benefits for readers are clear. EPUB is effectively the standard format for e-books and can be used across a wide range of apps and devices. PDF is also convenient for those who prefer to keep documents for reference. Expanding the ability to read books outside the Kindle ecosystem will improve the overall accessibility of e-books.
On the other hand, authors and publishers will need to make careful decisions. Removing DRM means that copying and redistribution of content becomes technically easier. While illegal activity is never acceptable, it is true that risks previously mitigated by DRM will relatively increase. Importantly, books that were previously distributed as DRM-free will not automatically gain EPUB/PDF download functionality unless the publisher explicitly re-enables the setting. This specification plays a key role in protecting rights holders.
Additionally, DRM settings can be changed at any time by the publisher, and DRM can be re-applied after being removed. However, files downloaded by readers during the DRM-free period will remain usable even if DRM is later turned back on. For this reason, the decision to disable DRM is, in practice, difficult to reverse once readers have downloaded the content. Authors should evaluate the implications thoroughly before distribution.
Alongside this policy update, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) now allows DRM settings to be edited from the Bookshelf page as of December 9, 2025. That said, it may take up to 72 hours for changes to be reflected in existing content, and settings cannot be modified in bulk—they must be adjusted on a per-title basis. This could impose a significant operational burden on authors or publishers with large catalogs.
Kindle’s move toward DRM-free distribution enhances flexibility in digital publishing while simultaneously surfacing the question of how creators’ rights should be protected in the absence of DRM. Going forward, business models that do not rely on DRM and usage frameworks that both authors and readers can accept will likely become increasingly important topics of discussion.
As the e-book market continues to mature, this change will undoubtedly become a major litmus test. It will be important to watch how individual publishers respond and how the reading experience evolves for users in the coming years.