Amazon is making one of its biggest changes yet to how copyright protection works on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Starting January 20, 2026, authors who choose to publish their ebooks without Digital Rights Management (DRM) will be able to offer their titles in EPUB and PDF formats directly through KDP. This shift marks a significant move toward more open, reader-friendly ebook distribution though reactions from authors remain mixed.
DRM has always been an optional feature on Kindle Direct Publishing, allowing authors to decide whether their ebooks can be freely copied across devices. Until now, however, DRM-free titles were still limited to Kindle-specific formats. By enabling EPUB and PDF downloads, Amazon is widening accessibility for users who prefer reading on non-Kindle devices or want a format compatible with various apps and platforms.
Amazon has clarified that this update won’t retroactively affect previously published books. Authors who want their older DRM-free titles to appear in EPUB or PDF must manually update DRM settings via the KDP author portal. The company even added a new confirmation box reminding authors that removing DRM means all current and future customers can download these open formats.
While Amazon promotes the change as a convenience feature that makes it “easier” for readers to access their purchases, many authors are expressing concerns. On the KDP Community forums, author Leslie Anne Perry shared that she had typically published books without DRM but now plans to enable it for future projects. Her concern is that the new PDF availability may make unauthorized sharing even easier.
However, others argue that DRM-free Kindle books were already simple to convert using third-party software, so the update may not significantly change piracy risks. Instead, they believe it simply offers cleaner, officially supported file formats.
This latest update arrives as Amazon continues tightening DRM in other areas. Recent Kindle software updates for 11th and 12th-generation devices introduced stronger DRM that prevents users from backing up ebooks unless they jailbreak their device. Amazon also previously removed the option to download ebooks via USB, triggering frustration among long-time Kindle owners who preferred local backups.
For authors, DRM changes made in KDP may take up to 72 hours to go live on Amazon. With the 2026 update approaching, authors will need to decide whether ease of access or tighter protection better aligns with their publishing strategy.
