The Third Programmer was largely regarded as aimed at the educated elite - recognised for Classical Music and learned talks
The small listernership was a standing joke - I remember The Goons threatening someone to 'Ten years hard Third Programme listening'
"You mention Folkways which being in New York issued mainly US material"
Not the case - Folkways had a massive international catalogue
I think copyrighting arrangements was largely an American thing, though I know MacColl publicly criticised Luke Kelly for the Thee Dubliers attempts at it.
The first court case involving a traditional song occurred quite early over the authorship of 'Wreck of the Old 97'
Jim