Guide
What DRM is on my ebook?
When a book won’t open, digital rights management is often the reason. Here is how to tell which kind you have — Adobe ADEPT, Amazon, Kobo or Readium LCP — and what each one means for reading it.
A plain-language guide. Tomelet detects and explains DRM; it does not remove it.
First, what DRM is
DRM is a lock a store or publisher puts on a file so it only opens in approved apps, tied to a particular account. It is not a file format; the same EPUB or PDF can be sold with or without it.
A reader can only open a protected file if it holds the matching licence. That is why a book bought in one ecosystem often will not open in another.
How to tell which kind you have
Adobe ADEPT
Common at public libraries and many stores. You download a small .acsm file rather than the book itself, and it is meant to be opened with Adobe-licensed software. The .acsm is a ticket, not the book.
Amazon (Kindle)
Kindle books use Amazon’s own protection and formats such as .azw, .azw3 or .kfx bought from the Kindle store. Sideloaded MOBI or AZW3 files you own without DRM are ordinary books.
Kobo
Kobo sells DRM-free titles and titles with Adobe or its own protection, often as .kepub. Whether a given Kobo book is locked depends on the publisher.
Readium LCP
A lighter scheme used by many libraries and stores. The file is a normal EPUB or PDF that asks for a passphrase the first time you open it. Tomelet opens LCP books with that passphrase.
What Tomelet does
Tomelet opens files you own that carry no DRM, and it opens Readium LCP books with your passphrase. When a file is protected by a scheme it cannot open, it says so clearly and names the kind, instead of failing with a cryptic error.
It does not remove or circumvent DRM. Getting a readable copy usually means choosing a DRM-free or LCP edition where one is offered, using your library’s supported app for ADEPT loans, or reading public-domain and personal files directly.
FAQ
Questions & answers
Can Tomelet remove DRM from my books?
No. Tomelet detects and explains DRM but does not circumvent it. It opens files without DRM and Readium LCP books with your passphrase.
Why won’t the .acsm file from my library open?
An .acsm is an Adobe ADEPT ticket, not the book. It is designed to be opened by Adobe-licensed software, which then downloads the protected book. Tomelet does not process ADEPT licences.
What is Readium LCP?
A DRM scheme where the book is a normal EPUB or PDF unlocked by a passphrase. Tomelet can open LCP-protected books once you enter the passphrase provided with them.