Sam Smith To Pay Tom Petty Copyright Royalties For “Stay With Me” Song

Sam Smith’s hit song “Stay With Me” was reportedly the subject of a copyright dispute with Tom Petty claiming that it infringed his “I Won’t Back Down” hit song. Here’s a third party’s analysis and comparison of the two songs:

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkcZV97O3pw
 

The Rolling Stone reports that the parties have “quietly and amicably settled” the copyright dispute and Tom Petty and co-author Jeff Lynne will now be credited as songwriters on Smith’s “Stay With Me.” As for copyright royalties, Rolling Stone reports that it’s “unclear whether Petty and Lynne were retroactively compensated for their songwriting credit or if they’ll receive future earnings on the track.”