Ethically it is important to properly cite such work. Talk to the publisher and understand their policies first, get an agreement in writing. You sign an agreement with the publisher when you publish, so make certain you understand and accept the terms of the agreement. Reduced access might be part of the negotiation. Departments, committees, or advisors may still require a paper bound version to be kept somewhere.
Many countries have laws that protect the rights of an individual to own property.
There are also international treaties and conventions protecting these rights. Copyright registration is a legal process of submitting a copy of your work to the government, and filing your ownership for the public records. Registration is necessary before filing an infringement suit. The law applies to both published and unpublished work, to registered and unregistered work. The protection is there for works that display the copyright notice or symbol and for those that do not.