This is closely related to
pdurrant's thread, but represents an actual situation, not a theoretical question.
I recently lost my entire ebook library due to a hard disk crash. I was able to recover about 150 of 250 ebooks. I have since taken great pains to ensure my ebooks are now backed up to disk.
I can no longer download many of the books I bought, especially from FictionWise. I can't download any of the Microsoft reader books I bought, from any site. In some cases, I hadn't even read the ebooks yet! They were on my TBR list. However, I can "borrow" some of the ebooks from the library.
So here's my question:
Is it ethical for me to strip the DRM from the library copy and save a copy to my hard disk?
1. I've paid for the book.
2. Both the author and publisher have been compensated for their work.
3. I am entitled to the content I paid for.
or
1. They're my ebooks; I'm responsible for saving/losing them.
2. If I had a fire and lost a pbook, I would not be eligible for any "refund".
3. Tough luck.
Thoughts?