title_body: How do I liberate ebooks from Kindle device? I have a Kindle ebook reader. How can I liberate ebooks that are stored on it? (transfer to my PC and make them readable on any device).
  
  Also, I tried copying my ebooks to Kindle directly, but they don't get recognized in any format I tried. I send them to my email address @kindle.com and they appear on my Kindle alright, but they get converted to azw3 format. Is there a better way to transfer ebooks to Kindle, e.g. just make it read mobi files?
  
  I use Linux, so I can't use Apprentice Alf because apparently it is Windows and Mac-only (even though Calibre works on Linux)
  
  Recap: I'm concerned about freedom of both Amazon and non-Amazon content:
  
  
  I would like my ebooks bought from Amazon to be readable on other
      devices (the most pressing issue)
  I would like to be able to get my ebooks (not bought from
      Amazon) back from Kindle, if necessary.
upvoted_answer: I had the exact same issue you are having now when I first bought my Kindle. I had many books in EPUB that the Kindle just didn't read (got used to it - found http://www.epub2mobi.com/ :-) ) and then I bought first e-book on the Amazon. Boom, stuck in there. I wanted to put it on my iPad and eventually I managed but was it worth it? Meh, not sure...
  
  First I had to get rid of DRM - I am a Mac user, so I used Mac DRM removal. Questions here: Is it legal? Is it right? 
  -- I didn't share it with anyone but I was not sure. It required that the book was on the reader downloaded and it needed the serial number of the reader. Because only with that the software was able to remove it.
  
  For you, I suggest reading this article for getting the tools for the workflow I described above. And then I suggest reading also this article for converting the book formats. However...as I said - the work was simply not worth it. I still read the books most of the times on my Kindle only. Once I read them I don't come back to them so why would I store them anywhere else?