The legal system is not at fault, he acquired the rights perfectly lawfully and he is not obliged to do anything with them. Bill Leader and the musicians themselves could also be criticised for not agreeing more rigorous contracts; but they were more innocent times, there was a great deal of mutual trust, and I don't suppose anyone envisaged the circumstances arising. And if Bulmer hadn't acquired them, there's no guarantee that the recordings would have been reissued, the tapes might just have been wiped and reused.

His moral obligations to the musicians, Nic Jones especially, and the music world at large are a different matter. I am mystified why in his own self-interest he did not release at least some of the more popular recordings, for which there is clearly a demand and which could have been commercially successful. I can only speculate that he has some kind of grudge against the folk world and that this is his way of getting revenge.

But all this has been said before, and at much length. Good luck trawling the threads on this topic, hope you've got plenty of time on your hands!