Protect your eBook

DRM is the abbreviation for Digital Restrictions Management: a restriction system to prevent a user from using our eBook on multiple devices, possibly generating free distributions of the same.

Two types of protection

StreetLib offers the following two choices when it comes to protecting eBooks:

• Adobe DRM (€0,25 for each order): Adobe's protection prevents anyone who purchases the book from print and copying/pasting the text. It requires the reader to register an Adobe account and restricts access to a maximum of 6 devices (all of which must be named on the same Adobe ID account).
• Social DRM (Watermark) (free): Also known as soft DRM, this is a form of non-invasive protection. The book contains the name and/or email of the person who bought the book (or other information if you wish). This way, you can trace any pirated copies back to the original buyer.  In addition to being present on the last page of the eBook, the watermark is hidden in every page. A watermarked eBook can be read on all eReaders, tablets, smartphones, and computers.
• No protection

PLEASE NOTE: Following the sale, StreetLib takes care of directly incorporating Adobe DRM or a watermark into your ebook file. This option is exclusively available for bookstores without proprietary DRM technology.

How to apply the protection

You can customize the protection for your ebook by selecting the appropriate field in the ‘Content’ tab of the book record:

The protection management applied to the eBooks in your catalog can be managed independently together with the other metadata present in the item card.

Once you upload your eBook on the StreetLib platform, at the end of the process, you will be able to choose which protection to apply.

In general, we usually suggest using the Watermark (soft DRM) over the Adobe DRM (strong DRM), in order to make it easy for the end customers to archive, manage and enjoy the digital content they purchased.

Which book shops have proprietary DRM?

Online bookstores receive DRM-related information based on the publisher’s specifications in the product metadata, which is transmitted via ONIX feeds. However, there are some exceptions. These generally involve stores that manage their own file inventory and apply a proprietary protection system—a proprietary DRM—to ebooks. In these cases, the purchased book can only be read on that store’s own devices or applications.

Amazon. As of January 2026, access to files purchased on Amazon depends on the DRM settings defined in the ebook record in the Hub.

1. If you choose watermarking or no protection, the Kindle app will allow the download of titles in EPUB and PDF formats. Downloads will also be available on non-Kindle devices and apps, in order to make access to content simpler and more accessible.
2. If DRM protection is applied to your ebooks, the content can only be read on Kindle apps and devices, and file download will not be possible. No additional costs are applied to Amazon downloads protected by DRM.

Apple. Customers who purchase a book on Apple Books can read it only through the app available on iOS devices.

Google. Google applies Adobe DRM.

Kobo. The file downloaded after purchasing an ebook from this store is a .kepub file (i.e., a file protected by Kobo’s proprietary DRM), which can be read directly on Kobo eReaders and Kobo apps. Kobo also allows users to download the file in .acsm format, that is, a file protected by Adobe DRM.