If the e-book is being sold in the same way and marketed as a physical book but on a digital media, always accessible, they yes, we can indeed demand the right to have access to it.
If however, in the very unlikely scenario, they market those books as temporarily rented products, and clearly informed the consumer of this fact (to the point of informed decision, by legal definition), then the customer can only expect what was informed at the time of purchase.
By the sound of the article, this is not the case however. If the company had been located in the EU, they would be in violation of a number of consumer protection laws.
If however, in the very unlikely scenario, they market those books as temporarily rented products, and clearly informed the consumer of this fact (to the point of informed decision, by legal definition), then the customer can only expect what was informed at the time of purchase.
By the sound of the article, this is not the case however. If the company had been located in the EU, they would be in violation of a number of consumer protection laws.