I can't help noticing that those advocating free downloads are very quick to assume that those of us who are pointing out why it's a bad idea are righteously hysterical, weeping, moaning, feeling hard done by etc. I'm none of those things. I'm just plain irritated that people who are supposedly enthusiastic supporters of other musicians in the same minority genre are throwing so much dust in the air about this issue.
Ralphie has it right - we're talking about theft. It's not big, it's not clever and it's not helpful.
I was told by Lizardson that being featured on his blog would mean more sales - not true. I've also been told (by a poster on his blog) that protesting about his inclusion of the Anonyma album would mean some lost sales. Who knows? The fact remains - it's a copyright piece and it is illegal to offer it for free download without permission from the copyright holder.
As to the folk revival and wholesale plundering ...oh, purlease! Even if you had a point there, two wrongs don't make a right. However, my recordings have nothing to do with plunderings, nor do Bob Pegg's. In fact, I'm not sure whose do, but I'm sure you'll make a point of telling us in order to throw yet more dust in the air.
Please, Suibhne, give me one good reason why it's OK for a blogger to give away something that doesn't belong to him without bothering to contact the owner of the copyright in question. I haven't heard one yet.