Hello Shambles

"Perhaps contributing to a sensible discussion was not the intention of your post?"

If I wanted to contribute to a sensible discussion I wouldn't be looking at this thread.

However, ill-informed mouth-foaming, if not taken seriously, can be quite funny, and it was in this spirit that I contributed.

Howard, I know that the fees paid by small pubs and folk clubs go to the composers. Because not only do I make sure it happens when I play, other people have come to my gigs and logged the songs, and I can tell you that the people I've mentioned have been the recipients of money as a result of these "samples".

Finally (and I'm aware this sounds arrogant) I have yet to meet anyone online, professional or amateur musician, who has done as much as I have on behalf of people on forums (fora?) to clarify the relationship between and legal and moral issues surrounding copyright and traditional music (as it exists in the UK legal framework anyway).

All that I had stated and researched was presented online at the time and as a result the Musicians' Union asked me to attend and advise the Specialist Music Group discussions between the FRTM (Folk Roots and Traditional Music) section of the MU and PRS, at which other non-performing folk music professionals from the industry were also present.

All of the ringfencing of royalties to the folk world from festivals, the small gigs and bars scheme which allows the small songwriters and folksingers to receive royalties commensurate to the usage of their music in pub sessions and folk clubs, and the funding of "new" traditional music by the PRS foundation for Music which takes place at some festivals - all of that had already been achieved thanks to the lobbying and discussion facilitated by the MU and the FRTM section.

So, while I'm happy crossing rubber swords with some of the foamier posters, I refuse to enter into serious battle with unarmed opponents. Life is far too short and there are far more fun and rewarding things to do with my time.

Like organising AORTAS' (Association for Oral Traditions and Songwriting) Songwriting Workshop, which runs between 19-26 August in Milton Keynes (details and prices here ) - perhaps we could have this discussion there over a foamy pint?

Cheers

Dan Plews