I don't think that's true. You can create more elaborate works in less time thanks to technology, but you could sketch or compose a copyrightable work in minutes a century ago.
There once was a property case
which was wildly absurd on its face
A camera, an ape
and an unforeseen jape
fell outside copyrightable space
Now this is not such a great thing that it deserves protection until 2084+my remaining lifespan, but my point is that verses of this sort could have been composed and committed to paper in 3 minutes in 1814 just as easily as in 2014.
Now this is not such a great thing that it deserves protection until 2084+my remaining lifespan, but my point is that verses of this sort could have been composed and committed to paper in 3 minutes in 1814 just as easily as in 2014.