He that is without sin should cast the first stone! How many mudcatters can honestly say that they have never ripped off an Artist? To say that you have not you will never have received a bootlegged version of an Album. Folk Club organisers will have always made payments to PRS so that PRS can pay the artists. Have you always bought sheet music or have you just used the Mudcat to get the words of songs or copied them down off the Artists Album. Cyrill Tawney songs are available on the Mudcat are they not? Cyrill Tawney is the Oldest Professional Singer Songwriter still performing and trying to earn a living! How many singers in free sing arounds have you heard sing one of Cyril's Songs. It's not just Cyrill or Nick that lose income.

Maybe clubs, gatherings should all make a donation to the holder of the copyright to the songs that are being performed. The English Folk Song and Dance Society hold quite a lot of copy rights on "Traditional Music". There seem to be lot's of music books being published at this moment by different publishers who only have to change the odd note hear and there to get round copyright.

Celtic Music has appeared on the Blacklist of the Musicians Union for 10 years and during that Time Dick Gaughan was recording on the Celtic Music Label. He seemed quite happy then and must have known all the Dave Bullmer stories then. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that Dick Gaugan is quite Left wing.

If you have any dealings with Dave Bullmer and or Celtic Music you should contact the Musicians Union. If you have any dealings with anyone with regard to signing a contract you should contact the Musicians Union. You should join the Musicians Union and follow their advice. Which will tell you that should get your solicitor to read any contract before you sign it! If you don't well you have only yourself to blame. Oh Dave has or had a partner who is a solicitor!

Oh and as for buying up defunct record labels and vinyl for a £1 an album I think Dave once told me he only paid 25p. Businessman he is he is not running a charitable organisation Dave is just in my view trying to make a living. At least he is doing it with the music that he Love's and not just trying to churn out commercial crap. Maybe he is not making the fortune that people think that he is and he has to sell to reduce his stock and to earn some money before he reinvests his capital in re-releases. Only Dave knows his reasons for hanging on to things.

One thing is for certain Dave is in business to make money and as a businessman uses his knowledge to buy product at the cheapest price. It seems pointless to expect him to give away what we all agree is a valuable asset. It's just a case of offering him a fair price and buying back Nicks writes to his music. However you will still need to distribute the album to get it to the shops do you really have the contacts. If you do are you a rival record company? George Clarke