True, but we don't need to assume that without a prior claim, the standard for awarding copyright bottoms out at nothing. Copyright exists to serve a specific p

True, but we don't need to assume that without a prior claim, the standard for awarding copyright bottoms out at nothing. Copyright exists to serve a specific purpose, to encourage people to make substantial investments that they would not make otherwise if they could not profit off them. If the investment is trivial to non-existent, there is no reason for the government to protect it.