Early America, not unlike China today, was extremely hostile to the idea of "intellectual property". Patents and copyrights made it difficult for domestic produ

Early America, not unlike China today, was extremely hostile to the idea of "intellectual property". Patents and copyrights made it difficult for domestic producers to compete with established companies from Europe. Brushing all those concerns aside made it a lot easier for companies to produce whatever goods and services were necessary for the local population. Instead of having to pay royalties to a company overseas for having "invented" something, which to people who'd fought for independence from that sort of tyranny, would probably seem absurd.