Russ ( To me its not the number or restrictiveness of the rules but the quality of the musical experience that is the deciding factor.)
I couldn't agree more.

The only thing that really bothers me about having a LOT of 'owned' songs is that it can really restrict the musical experience within that group. If someone who has a different verion of so-and-so's song* doesn't ever feel welcome to perform it, or if someone who does a superb rendition of a song isn't ever 'permitted' to share that because someone else routinely does a mediocre rendition of it, I think that's a real shame.

The time these kinds of 'rules' would seriously detract from my musical experience in a group (or setting) would be when, say, all 20 of my very best songs (my showpiece songs) were "already owned" by someone else in the group, so that I never had the chance to 'put my best foot forward' (in the sense of performing) or to do the songs that were the most enjoyable to me to play/sing.

When it's just a few songs, and I have other places where I can do them, it's no biggie to let a group member 'own' them.

Genie

*I am not talking about songs "owned' by their authors.