The history of news and copyright reveals that newspapers were not initially covered by copyright laws and there was debate over whether news articles should be protected.
The Post Office Act of 1792 facilitated the exchange of newspaper copies, creating a network for news and a nation.
Newspapers in the past were hostile towards new competitors like radio, leading to the 1933 Biltmore Agreement that limited radio's news updates and forced them to buy news from newspapers. [ more ]