MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A media company and a trade group say a lawsuit by Wisconsin's high school athletic association is unconstitutional.

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association and Gannett Co. filed a response and counterclaim in federal court in Madison against the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association on Tuesday.

The WNA claims that the WIAA is violating newspapers' rights under the Copyright Act by granting exclusive rights to private companies for tournament events.

The WIAA filed its lawsuit in December against the WNA and Gannett, which owns The Post-Crescent of Appleton, after the newspaper's Webcast of a high school playoff game on Nov. 8.

WNA lawyers say the host schools didn't object when The Post-Crescent streamed the game and three others over the Internet.

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