Free and Equal 2 (1):247-283. 2026Open 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 action, we contend that sharing academic research