Much confusion arises from artists simply assuming that works are trad "as they sound old". My father Stewart Ross's lyrical arrangement of 'Dark Island" "In the years long gone by...lovely dark Island where memories stray" is on the DigiTrad base even though it is relatively modern (1963). Many record companies are taking Scots songs and deliberately putting them down as trad even though they are modern.

When my father had just died one of his songs was straight away put down as trad on a release, even though it was only written in 1974. The perpetrators had just waited for him to pop off - hoping that they could put in a claim on what has become quite a well known song on Scottish samplers. These things snowball. With the practice of exchanging material over the Internet this can be made 1000 times worse, as its very difficult to stop misconceptions and rumours spreading about works. Then what may be modern and properly registered in one territory, can be nicked in another - and its years before you find out. I am now scared to give details of songs to Internet sites in case they are stolen. I only live to see my father's name perpetuated on the label of a CD or credited elsewhere - and I get very, very upset when I see his songs taken and miscredited as trad. Be warned don't trust single credits on releases. Try and build as much of a picture of the song as you can before you put it out in a public forum.

I am using a library computer and can't further the debate.