Jim,from your post above

"Most newly written songs cone with a little (c) which confines their use to where the copyright cowboys can't reach"

What is your problem with a songwriter copyrighting his/her own work?

If Ewan hadn't done so with "The First Time Ever" I am sure that he would have been considerably less well off than he was following the hit recording. With luck his estate is still earning reasonably well and why shouldn't it?

From what Peggy states in one of her books she and Ewan were pretty chuffed when they received the first royalty cheque from that song.

Do you have any personal knowledge of how royalties collection works?