# Harry Potter books now finally available in ePub format! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992 "2012-03-27T22:54:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/1 "2012-03-27T22:54:49Z")
As the title says, for the first time ever, you can (legally) get the Harry Potter books in ePub format from J.K. Rowling’s website. You can read them on a Kindle or an iPhone/iPad/iPod touch, Nook, Sony Reader, etc. - anything that can read ePub. Pottermore store: [http://shop.pottermore.com](http://shop.pottermore.com) [list of compatible devices](http://shop.pottermore.com/en_US/Help/faq_compatibledevices?c=USD) ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/2 "2012-03-27T23:07:30Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > You can read them on a Kindle or an iPhone/iPad/iPod touch, Nook, Sony Reader, etc. - anything that can read ePub. To clarify, Kindle can’t read epub, but Pottermore will send your purchased book(s) through your Amazon account so you can access a Kindle version of the book in your Kindle Library (cloud) and read it on your Kindle or with a Kindle app. You can similarly link your Barnes & Noble or Sony or Google Play accounts and download the books to your devices directly from those accounts. Or you can download the epub (which has no DRM, only a watermark) and sideload it directly on any device that reads epub. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/3 "2012-03-27T23:44:39Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > To clarify, Kindle can’t read epub, but Pottermore will send your purchased book(s) through your Amazon account so you can access a Kindle version of the book in your Kindle Library (cloud) and read it on your Kindle or with a Kindle app. You can similarly link your Barnes & Noble or Sony or Google Play accounts and download the books to your devices directly from those accounts. Or you can download the epub (which has no DRM, only a watermark) and sideload it directly on any device that reads epub. So the Pottermore site will basically tell Amazon that you’ve bought the books, and Amazon will give you a Kindle version identical to the Kindle version you would get if you bought them directly from Amazon? (You can also buy the books from Amazon) These different formats for eBooks are a pain. Why can’t everyone use the same format? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/4 "2012-03-28T00:01:24Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > So the Pottermore site will basically tell Amazon that you’ve bought the books, and Amazon will give you a Kindle version identical to the Kindle version you would get if you bought them directly from Amazon? (You can also buy the books from Amazon) When you “buy” from Amazon, they actually send you to the Pottermore site for your purchase. > [@](#): > > These different formats for eBooks are a pain. Why can’t everyone use the same format? :mad: If only. At least Pottermore’s approach does bridge the gap between the various formats. Their direct download epub is DRM free so it will work on all the platforms that use incompatible versions of DRM for epub (Apple, Sony, B&N, Kobo) and they also have Amazon delivering the mobi version. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/5 "2012-03-28T00:04:43Z")
That’s great that JK Rowling decided to release the books DRM free, and I know she’s not hurting for money, but this also means that tons of people will be getting it for free from their friends or from torrents. I plan on buying them later tonight, and wonder if there will be anything in the book that indicates that I’m the one that bought it. ---
**Author:** ![Winkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/41988e/32.png) [@Winkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winkie)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/6 "2012-03-28T00:12:02Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > I plan on buying them later tonight, and wonder if there will be anything in the book that indicates that I’m the one that bought it. Yes, according to the explanation the website gave me when I purchased them earlier this evening - the watermark has information about the purchaser in order to allow them to monitor copyright infringement. There is also a limit to how many times you can download it from Pottermore, which I assume means how many times / how many different devices you can load it on from your Amazon or Nook or whatever account you link it to, if you choose to do that. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/7 "2012-03-28T00:38:40Z")
i am bummed. it will not allow me to buy the uk versions. poo… ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/8 "2012-03-28T03:17:22Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > i am bummed. it will not allow me to buy the uk versions. poo… Yeah, I just noticed that myself! Maybe if go to [amazon.co.uk](http://amazon.co.uk) … (after checking) Nope, I don’t see the e-Books there. On the other hand, searching for Rowling at [amazon.co.uk](http://amazon.co.uk) brings up some pornographic books by some other female Rowling. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/9 "2012-03-28T12:14:21Z")
There are probably plenty of news sites and blogs that discuss all the details; I found a couple pretty good explanations at [Booksprung](http://booksprung.com/harry-potter-series-finally-available-as-legit-ebooks) and [Books on the Knob](http://blog.booksontheknob.org/2012/03/harry-potter-ebooks-arrive.html). > [@rocking\_chair](#): > > i am bummed. it will not allow me to buy the uk versions. poo… Yeah, I noticed that, from here in the US, you can _see_ the UK versions, but you can’t purchase them. I wonder why the restriction. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/10 "2012-03-28T15:32:53Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > i am bummed. it will not allow me to buy the uk versions. poo… You can gift yourself the UK version. Check out the post by Thomas Palmer about halfway down page three of this discussion at [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg3?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdPage=3&cdSort=oldest&cdThread=TxQGAUDREC149G). ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/11 "2012-03-28T15:38:54Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > To clarify, Kindle can’t read epub, but Pottermore will send your purchased book(s) through your Amazon account so you can access a Kindle version of the book in your Kindle Library (cloud) and read it on your Kindle or with a Kindle app. You can similarly link your Barnes & Noble or Sony or Google Play accounts and download the books to your devices directly from those accounts. Or you can download the epub (which has no DRM, only a watermark) and sideload it directly on any device that reads epub. Alternatively, you can convert epub to mobi format using [calibre](http://calibre-ebook.com/download). ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/12 "2012-03-28T17:43:08Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [F]rom here in the US, you can _see_ the UK versions, but you can’t purchase them. I wonder why the restriction. I don’t know why the restriction, but I would guess that it’s because different publishers have rights to sell the books in the US vs. the UK. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-books-now-finally-available-in-epub-format/616992/13 "2012-03-28T19:22:14Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > You can gift yourself the UK version. Check out the post by Thomas Palmer about halfway down page three of this discussion at [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg3?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdPage=3&cdSort=oldest&cdThread=TxQGAUDREC149G). Thank you ever so, implicit! They are downloading as I tippy-tap! Cheers to mr. Palmer for the work around!