This story in the Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/aug/12/prince.bans.dentist.from.cov... - raised the question, in my mind at least, of why artists allow or ban cover versions of their songs.

Yesterday I heard a cover of "Steady as she goes" by The Raconteurs, and it was just a watered-down, insipid version, which added nothing. I had assumed that The Raconteurs couldn't ban this cover version being recorded but if Prince can, why couldn't they? Or did they decide to allow the cover? And if so, why? Like I say, it wasn't bad, but if I had written that song, or "Love will tear us apart" or any number of other songs that have been covered badly, I wouldn't want to allow some lame cover version to be recorded.

So why do some bands allow them and some, well, Prince, not?