To Art Theme: YES, I definitely have a financial interest in the S.B. Copyright Extension, being one of the heirs of the Estate of Mitchell Parish. I did not consider the necessity of making a disclaimer at that time, but perhaps I should have.

I still feel that there is not a significant difference between real property and intellectual or creative property. If your deceased forebear was a real estate developer with many income properties, would it be immoral to enjoy the fruits of his "labors?" even though you made no contribution to his enterprise?

While I am NOT in the least bit implying that folkies are a financially oriented group; but don't performers also have a conflict of interest in the availability of free song materials?

I agree that this is a complex problem as far as the web is concerned, and I know that ASCAP and other societies are contracting with mp3.com concerning these issues.

I am very fond of the MC community. PARISH