I can recall mentioning to a venerable British accoustic performer that songs he had just performed sounded like someone else's performance. He replied that he had never heard of the ((someone else)) in question. A day later the ((someone else in question)) told me that he had exchanged CDs with the venerable British performer the previous year, at a festival where both were performing. That's what I call song-stealing! I have since seen the venerable British performer perform, and the songs in question were not part of the performance. Me, myself, I sometimes perform these songs, but that is because I have a very similar record collection to the ((someone else in question)). I make a point of asking people for permission to sing their songs, wherever possible. Even to the point of annoying Tom Paxton's roadie (but not, I would point out, Mr Paxton himself, who was fully understanding of what I was asking, and told the roadie to pipe down).

I don't agree with theft, but I can see situations where the performer would accede to the copying of his music to allow the perpetuation of that music, or where the poverty of the man who wants it would oblige him to give it away. The laws of copyright do not acknowledge the poor and unwaged, so he cannot do so formally. But he would not mind. On the other hand, there are very few people who own a computer capable of copying CDs who could be classified as poor.