I am all for sensitivity and courtesy too, Ian. But in all the "infringement cases" that I have witnessed, invariably it was the "owner" that was insensitive and incourteous, at least overtly so, by tearing strips of the new arrival in public.

And that's what got me thinking that perhaps sensitivity and courtesy that only panders to some inflated and oversensitive egos has little place in an open society. And we are (an open society) I 'd like to think...Such practices promote a closed world where "establishment" rules and access to music is limited(anybody have a soapbox for me to stand on?)

Don't get me wrong; I am playing devil's advocate here. But consider the flip-side of the argument:

For myself, I LOVE to hear my songs sung by others, even in the same club, whether they do them better or worse than me, in my flawed opinion (and I often think they do them better). So, when I am the first to relinquish "ownership" of the right to sing them, who the hell do others think they are, claiming that "ownership" for themselves? I write them for others to sing, as many as possible, so how about them being sensitive to MY wishes?

And ALL the singer-songwriters I know feel the same, by the way.