Amazon breaks down the format barrier: ePub and PDF are coming (but on one condition)
20 January 2026 marks a watershed moment for the digital publishing market. In a move that redefines the rules of its ecosystem, Amazon has announced a historic change in the management of eBook formats, officially opening the door to universal standards such as ePub and PDF.
This development, however, is not an indiscriminate “free for all”, but a strategic choice entrusted directly to authors and publishers. Here’s what’s happening and why this decision could change the reading habits of many.
The end of the “walled garden”?
Until yesterday, Amazon’s dominance was based on a closed ecosystem. Kindle readers were tied to proprietary formats (MOBI, AZW, KF8), which could only be read on the Seattle-based company’s devices and apps. Anyone who wanted to read an ePub file on a Kindle had to convert it or send it via email, while files purchased on Amazon could not be legally transferred to other readers such as Kobo.
The new policy introduces a fundamental variable: DRM (Digital Rights Management). From now on, authors who choose to distribute their books without DRM protection will see their works made available in open ePub and PDF formats. In essence, Amazon is trading format exclusivity for freedom of rights management.
Opportunity or risk?
For readers, this variable is an advantage. The ability to purchase a book on Amazon and read it, for example, on a Kobo device (if the author has waived DRM) breaks down technological barriers. This is a huge advantage, especially for “mixed” households, where devices from different brands coexist, ensuring a freedom of use never before seen on the platform.
The downside concerns security. For an author, removing DRM means giving the reader an “open” file, where copyright is not guaranteed. While the risk is calculated for ePub, it is the PDF format that worries professionals the most: the ease with which it can be copied and distributed illegally exposes works to a much higher risk of piracy.
What authors need to do
The change is not automatic. Amazon has made it clear that the change is not retroactive: for the entire catalogue published before 2026, authors will have to intervene manually, title by title.
The procedure involves ticking a specific box during publication (or modification), whereby the author assumes full responsibility for distributing the work without protection, implicitly accepting the risks associated with the free circulation of files.
Amazon’s move shifts the balance from technological protection to authorial responsibility, offering in return the universal compatibility that the market has been demanding for years. It remains to be seen how many authors will be willing to take the risk in order to reach a wider audience.
