Ray, and everything USED to be in black and white television shows. That USED to be is of NO USE whatsoever. It has no bearing on reality in today's world. Just none; You can still have 100% of whatever you write. And you can have it on your computer and see it never go anywhere. If you want to exist in today's world (which I doubt if you do) you are going to have to include others. That is simply life.

But this, like everything is NOTHING new. Col.Tom Parker insisted on Publishing shares for Elvis (as well as writers shares on some of them) if you wanted an Elvis cut. Don't want one? Fine. You don't GET one.
Berry Gordy at Motown wrote some of that labels earliest hits. Some he wrote, some he was cut in on to ensure they got priority at the label.

It is called PROPRIETARY OWNERSHIP and today it rules the roost. Times change and as Mike used to say, "ADAPT OR DIE." Period.

In the world I live in, artists now DON'T EVEN CONSIDER listening to outside music. They have their own. So you can hang on to all of yours with no problem at all.

I look at this from a creative point of view. I hear literally THOUSANDS of songs and HUNDREDS OF SONGWRITERS. They are ALL writing the same song over and over again. And you can tell because they HAVE NOT LEARNED ANYTHING ABOUT THE CRAFT, ABOUT THE ART, ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE DOING. NOT ONE, really knows how to write. And that is HOW YOU LEARN. By working with others. That is REALITY.
What you are talking about is THEORY that existed 50 years ago and has LONG LONG BEEN DEAD AND GONE.
Gotta stop beating a dead corpse.

MAB