Interesting article.
There’s a lot more background in the book on bootleg recordings (I think it is title Bootleg, the history of the other record industry).
Persons transcribed Shakespeare’s plays from the crowd. Some saw print illicitly while William was still alive. What came out as First Folio was released 7 years after his death (with no evidence of approval or source).
Later, the US did not recognize foreign copyright (much as China feels today) and bootlegs of books and sheet music occurred.
The book eventually gets into persons recording opera in NYC and releasing clandestine albums.