A moral dilemma

[Angst]

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?

[Ron.]

I say go for it

[Crusader]

Situations like these are where I think the "you bought a license to the content, not the content" argument should come back and force publishers to provide their customers with a copy of the 'licensed content' the legitimately bought (provided they can provide proof of purchases).

Personally I don't see anything morally wrong with acquiring copies from the library.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Angst

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.

I'd go further, and say you'd be morally OK to go and download copies of the books you paid for from anywhere you can find them.

You've paid for the ebooks. It shouldn't matter whether you made the backups yourself, or relied on some kind third-party to do so.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Save a copy and return the original?

I wouldn't call it wrong.

Let's think about one of the big reasons for tech: so you can always retain your stuff. Always. Clearly, ebook stores acknowledge this as being true, because they will often allow you to re-download a book, even if it's DRM'ed. What are you paying for when you buy an ebook? The actual production cost per copy is almost nothing. What you're paying for is space-saving, convenience, and the retain-ability of your content. The last two are the important ones, here.

These companies have stopped giving you what you paid for. Well, actually, they never gave you what you paid for in the first place. You paid to own the book, and as they sold them, you never did. That is, unless you stripped the DRM. What they sold you was a broken product from the word "go" which you had to fix yourself.

Go for it.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Angst

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.

I'll go with these. If you lost a physical book, laptop, etc. to fire or theft, should you be entitled to a free replacement? (Forgetting the argument about insurance)

I hate to say it, but you should have had proper backup.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by Angst

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?

Putting aside the fact that books are leased an not bought. Let's look at it from a pure "purchase" standpoint

When you buy something, eBook, pBook, music CD, DVD or an ice cream cone,--bare with me here-- you have access to the media until it's no longer usable, damaged, lost, eaten. If you break a CD do you have the right to go to pirate the songs, what about going to the same store and "borrowing" a CD.
Getting to the ice cream cone. What happens if you drop the ice cream cone outside the store without even getting so much as a lick. Do you go back to the establishment and demand a new cone.


Point is you have the right to remove DRM and backup your copies. But going to the public library and removing the DRM is another thing.

=X=

[speakingtohe]

Save a copy and return the original?

I wouldn't call it wrong.

Not preaching as I have done worse things in my life. But I wouldn't call it right either.

As stated by the op If these were paper books that had gotten lost, damaged, or burnt up in a fire what would you do?

Still as op can acquire some of them again without 'technically' hurting anyone I would not condemn him/her and hope they are comfortable with whatever the decision is.

On a side note. If the books are in the library they are accessible to be read. I don't know how long ebooks will remain in library catalogue, but as time goes on more are available and shorter wait lists for older books. Maybe get each available book, read it and decide how you will handle it on a book by book basis. Easy to assess your comfort level this way.

Helen

[DiapDealer]

I say you're gonna do what you're gonna do... regardless of what some strangers on the internet might think.

Never count anything other than a DeDRMed file stored on a device/media that you can reach out and touch with your finger as a "backup." And make sure you have at least two such backups.

[pdurrant]

The difference between an ebook replacement and a paperbook replacement is that the ebook replacement costs the publisher nothing.

Also, if your paper book copy gets destroyed, you can usually get a second-hand copy for much less than a new copy.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'd go further, and say you'd be morally OK to go and download copies of the books you paid for from anywhere you can find them.

That is morally better than borrowing them from a library and then hinder other people to borrow the book.

But why not use your insurance and by the books again?

[Angst]

Originally Posted by tompe

That is morally better than borrowing them from a library and then hinder other people to borrow the book.

Not only that, but some publishers limit the number of times a library may lend an ebook before having to purchase another license for the same ebook.

But why not use your insurance and by the books again?

No insurance.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

I'm not buying it. What you pay for when you buy digital content is fundamentally different than what you're paying for when you buy physical content. When you buy DRM'ed books, along with the book, you're paying for one of two things - to either own the content, or to have their cloud as a retainment service (depending on how they market it). This is the only reason it's justifiable to charge more than a buck for an ebook.

These companies have failed to provide either of those things. The OP did not get what s/he paid for. In any other market, we call that a scam.

When Angst bought those books, s/he bought them with the understanding that s/he would have continued access to them on the site, since s/he apparently wasn't allowed to actually own them. Since this is part of the agreement of purchase, the store is breaching their end of the deal by forcing Angst to buy them again. And they're doing it quite blatantly on purpose.

I am well aware the respective companies probably have some clever line of legalese that prevents them from being liable when the DRM behind an ebook they sell essentially screws their customers, but the simple fact of the matter is that is what you're paying for. They didn't hold up their end of the deal.

There is presently no form of DRM'ed content that does hold up that deal. They are all essentially scams - the product never belongs to you, and companies routinely end support for the DRM that makes your content usable and justifies the cost of the product.

Unfortunately, there is currently no recourse for customers who have been screwed this way, because the law is on the side of the companies. It's a new market and money talks.

Copying the library book doesn't hurt anyone as long as it is returned.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'd go further, and say you'd be morally OK to go and download copies of the books you paid for from anywhere you can find them.

You've paid for the ebooks. It shouldn't matter whether you made the backups yourself, or relied on some kind third-party to do so.

Yes. Regardless of the legality, I would agree that morally you're in the right. You paid for the books already. (And yes, you should make good backups of DRM-free versions of the books. Which is where DiapDealer comes in...

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I say you're gonna do what you're gonna do... regardless of what some strangers on the internet might think.

Never count anything other than a DeDRMed file stored on a device/media that you can reach out and touch with your finger as a "backup." And make sure you have at least two such backups.

Develop a workflow that removes the DRM, creates a backup and a primary storage point, and only THEN copy to your reading device.

For a really simple, very effective, and useful in other ways backup technology, I really like Windows Home Server. Yes, there are other, non-Windows solutions. And I'm fine with whatever you choose. But I've not found a better solution than WHS. And I've written a LOT of chapters on backups!

[Cpl Punishment]

Originally Posted by Angst

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?

Tough luck...You learned an expensive lesson...Backups

You are no more "entitled" to the Ebook from the library than losing your paper copy then stealing it from elsewhere...