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Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Rarity of DRM-Free Books on Amazon

Users note DRM-free books are uncommon, mostly from niche publishers like Tor/Baen or self-publishers, with opt-in limiting impact. "Out of around 1000 books I had 300ish that were DRM free." (buu709); "How many books are actually available DRM-free? This reads a bit like ... unicorns don't exist." (tgsovlerkhgsel); "All books published by Tor are DRM-free." (amluto).

2. User Exodus to Kobo and Alternatives

Many have abandoned Kindle for Kobo, Boox, or DRM-free stores due to lock-in and restrictions. "Switched to a Boox, installed koreader ... It's insane how much better." (paradox460); "I sold all of them last year and bought a Kobo Libra Colour." (stringsandchars); "Do yourself a favor and go get a Kobo reader." (monomial).

3. Distrust of Amazon and Embrace of Piracy/DRM Stripping

Account bans wiping libraries and DRM history fuel avoidance, piracy, or tools like Calibre. "I can no longer log in and lost access to all my Kindle e-books." (icqFDR); "pirating everything on annas archive et. al. cannot be beat." (IlikeKitties); "I break the DRM off books I've bought." (kstrauser).

🚀 Project Ideas

BookGuard: Local Library Escrow & De-DRM Automator

Summary

  • A local-first desktop application that automatically synchronizes, "liberates" (removes DRM), and backs up eBook and audiobook libraries from Amazon, Kobo, and Google Play.
  • Solves the fear of "remote wiping" (as experienced by user icqFDR) and the frustration of losing access to purchased content due to arbitrary account bans or policy changes.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Readers with large Kindle/Kobo libraries who fear account bans.
Core Feature One-click background sync and DRM removal to local ePub/PDF files.
Tech Stack Python, Electron, Calibre/DeDRM integration components.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Paid license (one-time) for "vault" features.

Notes

  • "They also remotely wiped my Kindle, so my entire library is gone." — icqFDR. This tool ensures that once a book is paid for, it exists on the user's drive regardless of Amazon's server status.
  • HN users heavily discuss using Calibre plugins; this product wraps that technical complexity into a user-friendly "Time Machine for Books."

Direct-to-Reader (D2R) Tax & Compliance Service

Summary

  • A headless API and storefront service that handles global digital VAT, sales tax, and remittance specifically for independent self-published authors.
  • Eliminates the primary barrier for authors wanting to sell DRM-free files directly from their own sites instead of relying on Amazon’s walled garden.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Self-published authors (like codazoda and asplake).
Core Feature Automated sales tax/VAT collection and filing for digital downloads.
Tech Stack Node.js, Stripe Tax, headless CMS integration.
Difficulty High (Regulatory complexity)
Monetization Revenue-ready: Transaction fee (e.g., 5% + $0.50).

Notes

  • "I don't currently distribute or sell books directly because that creates a tax burden." — codazoda.
  • HN commenters frequently suggest "buying direct," but authors cite the "tax burden" as the reason they stay on Amazon. This service solves the author's side of the equation.

Amazon Shadow-Account Mediator

Summary

  • A "consumer protection" service that acts as a collective legal buffer between individuals and giant platforms like Amazon or Google.
  • Provides "account insurance": for a small monthly fee, the service uses its collective legal weight and specialized contacts to resolve bans and missing $1,000+ refunds that regular CS bots ignore.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience High-spending Amazon users and digital media collectors.
Core Feature Automated small claims filing and executive escalation for account issues.
Tech Stack Legal-tech automation, Case management software.
Difficulty Low (Ops-heavy)
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription model ("Account Protection").

Notes

  • "The solution to authoritarian problems is to organize... a service that we all pay into... When you get banned without due process, [legal] payments stop." — zackmorris.
  • This addresses the "unreachable entity" problem mentioned by multiple users who lost thousands of dollars with no recourse.

OpenShelf: The DRM-Free "GoodReads" & Marketplace

Summary

  • A discovery engine and social platform that strictly indexes and sells books confirmed to be DRM-free across all platforms.
  • Solves the problem of "DRM-free unicorns" by surfacing titles from Tor, Baen, and independent authors, allowing users to filter by specific hardware compatibility (e.g., "Kobo-ready ePub").

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Conscious consumers and e-ink enthusiasts (Kobo/Boox users).
Core Feature DRM-status verification engine and universal e-ink sync.
Tech Stack Next.js, FastAPI, Web scraping/API integration.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Affiliate commissions and direct sales.

Notes

  • "Is there a way to check the DRM status before purchase?" — epage.
  • This project fills the gap for users like misterbishop who say "DRM-free is a precondition for me buying digital books," but find discovery difficult.

Sideload+ for E-Ink

Summary

  • A specialized "personal cloud" server (built for Raspberry Pi or Docker) that replicates the "Send to Kindle" convenience for non-Amazon devices like Kobo and Boox.
  • Automatically scrapes metadata, applies Calibre tags, and pushes DRM-free ePubs to devices over the local network via WebDAV or NickelMenu.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Users switching from Kindle to Kobo/Boox (like syntaxing and wishfish).
Core Feature Wireless, metadata-rich sideloading without USB cables.
Tech Stack Go/Python, Docker, WebDAV server.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby (Open source) or Revenue-ready: Pre-configured hardware plug.

Notes

  • Users like wishfish love Kobo because "it feels like something I actually own," but miss the convenience of wireless syncing.
  • "I can purchase a DRM free ebook on the train... and then load it on." — jjice. This tool makes that process as seamless as Kindle's proprietary sync.

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