Richard wrote: "I think that concentration on the legal issue of whether there is copyright or not will not necessarily illuminate our search for a term for music or song that is rather like folk music or folk song but is not within the definition."

Fair point. That was after all your reason for starting the thread.

I'd say we don't really need a new word to describe 'music or song that is rather like folk music or folk song but is not within the definition' because the definition is so wide as to be outwith definition.

But if you want to have a grey area at the edges, why not just say what everyone does already... 'folky' (perhaps with the emphasis on the 'y').

The reason I've banged on about geting a clear definition of 'trad' is that to a few die-hards, 'folk' does still mean what the rest of us call 'trad.' While this persists, then a clear definition of 'folk' may still be necessary.

I mention the legal issue, because at the end of the day it's important. There wouldn't BE a legal issue if it attributions wasn't important.

Let me suggest the following definitions:

Folk = music and song with easily traceable roots.

Folky = music using styles, sounds or other elements of folk but with less clear roots.

Tradition/al = owned by a community, mainly oral transmission

Anon = no known writer

Source = Anon, adapted by processes that have now ceased to function due to technology etc.

Public Domain (PD) = out of copyright. Used thus:

Writer's Name PD - known writer but adapted by tradition, and now out of copyright.

Writer's Name - in copyright (but check in case they've been dead for 70 years yet, in which case use PD).