Answers.Body: <p>Google Play does supply non DRMed books.</p>
  
  <p>I have bought <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Eric_Flint_1632?id=jKx0CwAAQBAJ" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ebooks</a> from Google Play published by Baen who have never had DRM and I can downloaded them as .epub with no DRM.</p>
  
  <p>It is up to the publisher and not the store to decide if the book is encumbered with DRM. </p>
  
  <p>If a store says something is DRMed and it should not be ie the publisher says it is not then you should contact the publisher to giving the store details and the publisher will tell the store to change it.</p>
  
  <p>In this case note the original publisher (Random House) of the English version of Artemis have asked for DRM. see <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Andy_Weir_Artemis?id=YsuxDgAAQBAJ" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-14T22:29:27.373Z
Answers.Text: Can you please link a book that you bought from GP that had not DRM, so I can compare how the description is different from the DRM encumbered ones?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sekhemty
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-15T14:44:06.867Z
Answers.Text: Here's one: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Russ_Miles_Learning_UML_2_0?id=QhiA6vT56E4C. Under the "Content Protection" heading in the "Additional Information" section, the page notes that "This content is DRM free."
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-14T16:51:56.817Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-12-15T15:00:23.457Z
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Body: <p>I'd like to know if ebooks bought on Google Play are always encumbered with DRM, even when the publisher is selling them in a DRM-free version<sup>1</sup>. 
  As an example, <a href="https://www.newtoncompton.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Newton Compton</a>, an italian publisher, sells all of its ebooks in a DRM-free format (they just use a watermark).</p>
  
  <p>As an example, let's take one of their books, Artemis by Andy Weir. They sell it DRM-free on <a href="http://ebookstore.newtoncompton.com/it/andy-weir/artemis-la-prima-citta-sulla-luna/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">their site</a>, and also other stores respect this choice from the publisher, like <a href="https://www.ibs.it/artemis-prima-citta-sulla-luna-ebook-andy-weir/e/9788822715036?inventoryId=88939749" rel="nofollow noreferrer">IBS</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/it/en/ebook/artemis-la-prima-citta-sulla-luna" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://www.bookrepublic.it/book/9788822715036-artemis-la-prima-citta-sulla-luna/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bookrepublic</a>, and surely others.</p>
  
  <p>On <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Andy_Weir_Artemis_La_prima_citt%C3%A0_sulla_luna?id=SU04DwAAQBAJ" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google Play</a> it is instead listed as being protected with DRM, but it is not specified if this refers to the watermark or if they apply the hard Adobe DRM.</p>
  
  <p>I usually buy from other sources, but I've received a coupon and I'd like to know what I will get if I buy from here.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><sub>1. In this context, when I speak of DRM, I am referring to the hard types, like Adobe DRM, and not about the soft ones, like the simple watermarks that don't cause any technical difficulties when trying to open and access them. </sub></p>
  
Tags: <epub><drm><google-play-books>
Title: Are ebooks on Google Play always encumbered with DRM?
UserDisplayName: Sekhemty
ThreadText: # Are ebooks on Google Play always encumbered with DRM?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-14)
  
  I'd like to know if ebooks bought on Google Play are always encumbered with DRM, even when the publisher is selling them in a DRM-free version1.
  As an example, [Newton Compton](https://www.newtoncompton.com/), an italian publisher, sells all of its ebooks in a DRM-free format (they just use a watermark).
  
  As an example, let's take one of their books, Artemis by Andy Weir. They sell it DRM-free on [their site](http://ebookstore.newtoncompton.com/it/andy-weir/artemis-la-prima-citta-sulla-luna/), and also other stores respect this choice from the publisher, like [IBS](https://www.ibs.it/artemis-prima-citta-sulla-luna-ebook-andy-weir/e/9788822715036?inventoryId=88939749), [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/it/en/ebook/artemis-la-prima-citta-sulla-luna), [Bookrepublic](https://www.bookrepublic.it/book/9788822715036-artemis-la-prima-citta-sulla-luna/), and surely others.
  
  On [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Andy_Weir_Artemis_La_prima_citt%C3%A0_sulla_luna?id=SU04DwAAQBAJ) it is instead listed as being protected with DRM, but it is not specified if this refers to the watermark or if they apply the hard Adobe DRM.
  
  I usually buy from other sources, but I've received a coupon and I'd like to know what I will get if I buy from here.
  
  ---
  
  1. In this context, when I speak of DRM, I am referring to the hard types, like Adobe DRM, and not about the soft ones, like the simple watermarks that don't cause any technical difficulties when trying to open and access them.
  
  **Tags:** epub, drm, google-play-books
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-12-14. Score: 2
  
  Google Play does supply non DRMed books.
  
  I have bought [ebooks](https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Eric_Flint_1632?id=jKx0CwAAQBAJ) from Google Play published by Baen who have never had DRM and I can downloaded them as .epub with no DRM.
  
  It is up to the publisher and not the store to decide if the book is encumbered with DRM.
  
  If a store says something is DRMed and it should not be ie the publisher says it is not then you should contact the publisher to giving the store details and the publisher will tell the store to change it.
  
  In this case note the original publisher (Random House) of the English version of Artemis have asked for DRM. see [here](https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Andy_Weir_Artemis?id=YsuxDgAAQBAJ)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Can you please link a book that you bought from GP that had not DRM, so I can compare how the description is different from the DRM encumbered ones?  
  > **username_2**: Here's one: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Russ_Miles_Learning_UML_2_0?id=QhiA6vT56E4C. Under the "Content Protection" heading in the "Additional Information" section, the page notes that "This content is DRM free."  
  
  ---
  
  