The two have come to overlap. Yes, I despise current "IP" law, so I don't know it. I like the older concepts. Call me "retro", but I make no demands on others that fall in category hypocritical -- such as one who freely borrows from Noah Webster's IP with a song and dance as payment.
Even if your absurd claim were true, his works are in the public domain now, so no possibility of infringement.