In the Shadows: Academic Knowledge and Remedial Action

Open access activists and shadow libraries violate laws that restrict access to academic research. Is such lawbreaking morally permissible? This paper defends an affirmative answer. We argue that the illegal sharing of academic research constitutes a form of permissible unilateral remedial action distinct from typical acts of political disobedience. By advancing a justificatory framework for unilateral remedial actions, we contend that sharing academic research illegally is permissible insofar as it responds to real injustices – namely, violations of the right to access knowledge, the marginalisation of research communities, and epistemic injustice – is genuinely remedial, and is necessary and proportionate. We conclude by reflecting on the provisional nature of illegal sharing and on the responsibilities of academics to support more equitable models of academic publishing.