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Originally Posted by latepaul
First two sentences agree. Last one not so much.
I'd say that copyright law is clear enough that it's not an open question. You need a license to copy a copyrighted work.
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Actually, that's not true, at least in the US. Under fair use doctrine, you are allowed to make a copy for your own use, i.e. backup or format shifting. The major case that is currently winding it's way through the court system is about the ability to sell a "used" ebook. The trial judge expressed skepticism about the ability to ensure there was no copy left behind, i.e. that it was treated the same as a physical book.
My understanding of the question at hand is, when you "buy" an ebook, do you buy the book, or do you buy a license to download and read the book. In general, my understanding is most caselaw says you buy the book, i.e. the book vendor can't just revoke the license and remove the book in question from your device. That file belongs to you regardless of what the legal boilerplate from the vendor says. Remember, Disney's CEO once claimed that people who didn't watch commercials were stealing, so vendors claim all sorts of wild things that don't hold up in a court of law.