Once again I find myself not a little depressed by threads such as this one; not by the topic itself, which really doesn't interest me particularly, but by the effect the subject under discussion has on what does concern me; namely, the passing on of traditional songs and music.
It seems to me that the main issue raised by the activities of PRS and IMRO has to be the detrimental effect these will inevitably have on the running of folk clubs and music sessions, still, in spite of all the trials and tribulations, the principle venues for the dissemination of folk song and music. Yet once again this seems to have taken a somewhat minor role in the present discussion.
I suppose I really should put my depression down to my advancing years. I came into a scene where the success of a newly written song was judged by the number of singers who took it up and included it in their repertoires, and by the audiences that got to hear it, not by the size of the royalties' cheque, which, as far as I can make out, is fairly miniscule anyway.
The two songwriters I have had most to do with down the years have been MacColl and Seeger, both of whom took great pains to pass on their songs, either via typewritten copies they would hand out at club appearances, or through publications such as New City Songster, set up by Peggy in the late sixties and running into 20 volumes over fifteen years. Volume one comprised entirely of Ewan's songs (with the exception of one jointly composed by The Critics Group), but later editions were made up of songs by other writers equally keen to pass on the products of their creativity.
Sure, MacColl made a bomb out of 'First Time Ever' (a-decade-and-a-half after it was composed as a love song to Peggy), but in the interim period it was recorded by numerous professionals, many of whom neither asked permission nor paid for doing so. His attitude, as with all the songs he made was, 'at least people think it good enough to sing'.      
Discussions such as this, the unofficial recording of sessions, (which eventually became quite unpleasantly abusive) and numerous others on the copyrighting of 'arrangements' of traditional songs are, for me, an indication that 'The Times They Are A-changing' and the desire to 'pass it on' has long ridden off into the sunset. I have spent a fair part of my life recording songs and stories from people who have willingly passed them on and have taken pride in hearing them taken up by other singers; (in many cases from people who have been living on or below the poverty line), yet at no time can I recall the question of 'ownership' of those songs and stories having been raised.
While a few of these songs have been either self-composed or made by family or members of the singers' communities, most have been traditional – i.e. 'arrangements' of older songs.
Walter Pardon was once extremely puzzled at hearing two folk 'stars' quarrelling over which of them was to record one of 'his' songs - he told us "They're not my songs, they're everybody's".
For me, one of the most poignant examples of the 'ownership' of traditional songs is the case of Traveller John 'Jacko' Reilly.
John was discovered in the late sixties living in deplorable conditions in a derelict house in Boyle, County Roscommon. He was found to have a repertoire of extremely rare and important songs and ballads, which he gave unhesitatingly to the collector Tom Munnelly.
Many of John's songs were taken up by the revival, notable the never before collected 'The Maid And The Palmer' (Child 21) which nowadays is usually referred to as 'Christie Moore's, The Well Below The Valley' (not I hasten to add, Christie's fault; he is an enthusiastic advocate on behalf of the Travellers).
Tom Munnelly and others, recognising John's desperate situation, attempted to raise money by getting him bookings around Dublin clubs, most of whom responded willingly (with the notable exception of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, who refused to help on the grounds that John's singing wasn't 'Sean Nós' enough).
John died of malnutrition in 1969 in Boyle hospital, aged 42. He was posthumously given the dubious honour of becoming one of Peter Kennedy's victims. The rights to 'The Well Below The Valley' are at present owned by professional musician and broadcaster Phil Coulter.
I realise that much of what I have written here might be (quite justifiably) described as 'off topic', but for me, any attempt to claim ownership and financially benefit from traditional music is detrimental to its survival. The behaviour of PRS and IMRO are, I believe, a significant threat to the music many of us have spent a great amount of time and energy promoting, and some of the responses to that threat are an indication, to me at least, of the demise of a generosity of spirit that once fuelled the folk song revival.
I for one, mourn its passing.
Jim Carroll