Comment by tempfile

This sounds completely false to me. Do you have a reference for it?

In particular, the original Statute of Anne (the first law establishing a copyright) is officially titled:

> An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by Vesting the Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or Purchasers of Copies, during the Times therein mentioned

No doubt people used the word "copy" in the sense you mean, but "copy" in "copyright" is absolutely about copying as in copying some data.