The so - called digital rights management (or DRM, of the English digital rights management ) plays a very important role in the world of electronic media: Generally, the digitized content such as software , movies, books, audio recordings and other documents Unlike analog formats, they are very easy to reproduce and distribute, a circumstance that threatens traditional business models and can be unsustainable for creators or owners of distribution rights. The regulation of access to protected intellectual property, which is responsible for DRM systems, is therefore essential for the commercialization of digital publications ..
There is a system specifically designed to safely publish and use e-books and PDF content on all devices: Adobe Content Server (ACS) . The DRM server from the famous software company protects digitally published works using Adobe's DRM copy protection. In this article we explain the role of ACSM files in this system and how to convert them to other formats.
An ACSM file is a container that contains information for downloading a digital publication and is DRM-protected by Adobe. ACSM stands for A dobe C ontent S erver M essage, terms indicating what is behind such files (which, incidentally, occupy only a few kilobytes) to the opposite of what many buyers initially think, A file in ACSM format is not the actual e-book, but just a kind of link or message between the user and the Adobe Content Server, developed to manage the digital rights of the software . This Adobe server application enables the copy-protected distribution of digital documents (PDF, EPUB, EPUB 3) and acts as an intermediate authority in charge of allowing access..
If content creators or owners choose to use Adobe Content Server to protect e-books or other digital documents with Adobe DRM, they will be automatically linked to the buyer's Adobe ID at the time of purchase. This ID is a personal, non-transferable user ID that must already be created before purchasing a document with Adobe copy protection. Otherwise, the Adobe server application, running in the background, will not be able to access the copy-protected file.
Adobe IDs can be enabled on up to six different devices..
The user can access the ACSM file immediately after purchasing it; in fact, it is the only thing you can download at first. However, to open the ACSM file, it is not enough to have the associated Adobe ID, but it is also necessary to have the Adobe Digital Editions software , which must be installed on the system and also connected to the Adobe ID. First, Adobe Digital Editions uses the ID to verify that the user has permission to convert the ACSM. If so, the user can download the purchased e-book in EPUB or PDF format. Adobe Digital Editions also sends the ACSM file to the download folder .
Many e-book readers have their own software for processing ACSM files. If this is not your case, you can first convert the ACSM file to PDF or EPUB and then transfer it to the e-book via USB. The prerequisite is that Adobe Digital Editions is installed on the source system and used to transfer the digital document. Only in this way is it possible to grant authorization to the e-book reader and thus legitimately remove copy protection.
Creating an Adobe ID to convert ACSM or to use the rest of Adobe applications is completely free and can be done at any time through the official website of the software company . You just have to enter the web with any browser and click on the " Login " button , which is in the upper right corner of the home page menu:
You are on the Adobe login page. At this point, since you only want to create your login details, you need to click on the " Get an Adobe ID " link . In the next menu, enter your name, date of birth and country of residence. Also enter your Adobe ID details, providing your email address and a personal password . Once you have filled in all the information, click on " Register ":
This will automatically sign you in to your new Adobe account. At the same time, you will receive an email at the indicated address, asking you to confirm this address as an Adobe ID . To do this, click on the confirmation link in the email. The browser will finally inform you that the ID has been successfully verified and that it is now ready to use.
By having an Adobe ID, you already meet the basic requirement to open ACSM files. You will also need the appropriate software to carry out the conversion process , unless after purchasing the DRM-protected document from Adobe, you open it with an e-book reader that already has such software .
Windows and macOS users have been using their own Adobe solution for years - Adobe Digital Editions. Currently, the program is also available as a mobile application , so it is possible to open ACSM files on Android or iOS devices with the corresponding Adobe application. You can download the installation files from the Adobe home page (Windows and macOS), the App Store (iOS), and the Google Play Store (Android).
If your mobile device is not compatible with Adobe Digital Editions, try Bluefire Reader or Aldiko Book Reader, very effective alternatives for reading and converting files in ACSM format.
After installing Adobe Digital Editions, you must first obtain the appropriate authorization for your computer or mobile device using the Adobe ID. Only then will it be possible to open documents protected with Adobe DRM in ACSM format, convert them into PDF or EPUB files and transfer them to other devices.
To obtain authorization, click on " Help " on the top menu bar of Adobe Digital Editions, and select the " Authorize computer " option from the menu:
In the next window, enter your Adobe ID and password, then click " Authorize " to complete the authorization process:
After the device is authorized using Adobe Digital Editions, you can open the downloaded ACSM files using the reader software . To do this, first click on " File " and then on " Add to Library ". In the next window, enter the location of the ACSM file and select the entry " Adobe Content Server Message " instead of " E-books ". Next, you will see the ACSM file, which you can now select and open with the corresponding button.
Adobe Digital Editions will start downloading the digital document immediately and convert the ACSM to EPUB or PDF, depending on the source. When it's done, you'll find the e-book or PDF document in the "All Items" category. If you right-click on this category and select " Item Information ", you can see the local location of the converted file and check permissions , among other information.
If you have converted an ACSM file to PDF or EPUB with Adobe Digital Editions and want to transfer it to an e-book reader, open the Adobe software and connect the e-reader to your computer via USB . Adobe Digital Editions will immediately recognize the reader and allow you to authorize it using the setup wizard. Once the process is finished, you will see the e-book reader in the list of categories and you can easily drag and drop the already converted EPUB and PDF documents.