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It’s copyright. Not authorright.

The exclusive ability to copy is granted as a conceit.

The restriction only came about because publishers got mad.



> The Congress shall have Power…To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.

Sounds like Author's Rights to me.


It came about because archives wanted a de jure monopoly on top of their de facto monopoly.

US copyright law took a very different path though.




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