This isn’t a debate about the legality of the matter, but on whether it’s ethical to DeDRM ebooks that you’ve checked out from a library. The publishing company and author are usually paid for each copy that you’ve lent, which is often why eBooks exhaust large parts of a library’s budget. If you are able to loan a book for a month, but you DeDRM it and don’t share it anyone else, and therefore instead finish it in two months, is this ethical? Or have you intentionally reduced the potential for more revenue to the author by instead not lending it twice? Do the publishers predatory licensing fees for libraries make this more ethical?

  • tacosanonymous@lemm.ee
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    8 days ago

    Honestly, the author isn’t getting that money. Publishers are using pricing schemes that are intentionally meant to punish libraries. Do two wrongs make a right? Idk. But there is a strong case for anti-capitalism and the freedom to read should be the highest ethical concern.