How to convert ACSM to PDF for Free with calibre?

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What is DRM?

Digital rights management (DRM) are a set of access control technologies for restricting the use of copyrighted works. DRM tries to control the use, modification, and distribution of copyrighted works. DRM locks a file so that only the person who purchased it can read it, and only on the device or app that vendor provided. In other words, if you buy a book on Amazon, you can only read it on your Kindle eReaders or Kindle app.

What is an ACSM file?

An ACSM file with the .acsm file extension is an Adobe Content Server Message file. It’s used by Adobe Digital Editions to activate and download Adobe DRM protected content. ACSM files are not eBook files, they can’t be opened and read like other eBook formats, such as PDF or EPUB. Instead, ACSM files contain data from the Adobe Content Server that’s used to authorize that the book has been legally purchased.

What is calibre and DeDRM plugin?

calibre is a cross-platform open-source suite of e-book software. calibre supports organizing existing e-books into virtual libraries, displaying, editing, creating and converting e-books, as well as syncing eBooks with a variety of e-readers. It’ll allow you to do nearly everything and it takes things a step beyond normal e-book software. It’s also completely free and open source and great for both casual users and computer experts.

DeDRM plugin is a calibre plugin that can remove DRM from Kindle eBooks, Barnes & Noble ePub ebooks, any ebooks using Adobe Digital Editions DRM, and the older Mobipocket and eReader ebooks. The DeDRM wiki page is here.

Convert ACSM to PDF/EPUB with calibre plugin DeDRM

Step 1. Download and install the Adobe Digital Editions. Open it and click it’s menu “Help” -> “Authorize Computer…”(or use shortcuts on windows: ctrl-shift-U, Mac: command-shift-U) Login in with your ID and Password.

Step 2. Using Adobe Digital Editions to open an ACSM file. Wait a moment, the eBook will be downloaded and added into your ADE book library, then you can check and read it by ADE.

Step 3. Download and install the latest version of calibre. alternatively, you can install calibre using chocolatey on Windows or homebrew on Mac.

Windows:

choco install calibre

Mac:

brew install calibre

Step 4. Download and uncompress the latest version of DeDRM plugin.

Step 5. Run calibre to install plugin DeDRM, clicking calibre menu “Preferences”(or run shortcuts, Windows: ctrl-p, Mac: command-.), On the “calibre – Preferences” dialog, click “Plugins” -> “Load plugin from file”, select the plugin file “DeDRM_Plugin.zip”. At last click the button “Apply”.

Step 6. Open Adobe Digital Editions book library folder, and drag book files to calibre, the ADE’s books DRM will be removed.

Note: Adobe Digital Editions book library folder, replace username to your current user name.

Windows
C:\Users\username\Documents\My Digital Editions

Mac
/Users/username/Documents/Digital Editions

The easiest way to remove ACSM DRM

It is actually that it is not easy to remove ACSM DRM with the calibre DeDRM plugin, you should do several things to accomplish the task, so it will take lots of your time.
In order to save time, you can try the z3kit ACSM Converter. It is the easiest way to remove ACSM DRM, what you need to do is only 1-click.

Free Trial of z3kit ACSM Converter Now

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