Ralph Vaughan Williams made his stash turning traditional tunes into themes in scores he could then copyright and collect on.

When Ewan MacColl or Bob Dylan borrowed heavily (to sanitise the term) from traditional song in order to be able to receive royalties as the writers of the song, were they no longer folk?

Defining and categorising opens more cans of worms than it settles arguments. But the one about music of the people is the funniest yet. My two year old granddaughter will be able to get up and sing a Sugar Babes hit once it goes out of copyright and becomes traditional folk then.