Editing Tom Petty (section)

==Views on artistic control==
Petty was known as a staunch guardian of his [[artistic control]] and [[artistic freedom]]. In 1979, he was involved in a legal dispute when ABC Records was sold to [[MCA Records]]. He refused to be transferred to another record label without his consent. In May 1979, he filed for bankruptcy and was signed to the new MCA subsidiary [[Backstreet Records]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers|first=Tom|last=Petty|year=2007|publisher=Chronicle Books|page=[https://archive.org/details/runnindowndream00tomp/page/79 79]|isbn=978-0-811-86201-1|url=https://archive.org/details/runnindowndream00tomp/page/79}}</ref>

In early 1981, the upcoming Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album, which would become ''Hard Promises'', was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98, following [[Steely Dan]]'s ''[[Gaucho (album)|Gaucho]]'' and the [[Olivia Newton-John]]/Electric Light Orchestra ''[[Xanadu (soundtrack)|Xanadu]]'' soundtrack. This so-called "[[superstar pricing]]" was $1.00 more than the usual list price of $8.98.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Patrick |title=Petty Battling MCA Over Record Price Hike |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 1, 1981 |page=N72}}</ref> Petty voiced his objections to the price hike in the press and the issue became a popular cause among music fans. Non-delivery of the album and naming it ''Eight Ninety-Eight'' were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.<ref>{{cite news |last=Marsh |first=Dave |title=Tom Petty |work=Musician |date=July 1981 |page=43}}</ref>

In 1987, Petty sued tire company [[Goodrich Corporation|B.F. Goodrich]] for $1&nbsp;million for using a song very similar to his song "Mary's New Car" in a TV commercial. The ad agency that produced the commercial had previously sought permission to use Petty's song but was refused.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goldstein |first=Patrick |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-08-ca-13300-story.html |title=B.F. Goodrich's Ad 'Tires Out' Tom Petty |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 8, 1987 |access-date=October 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028083752/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-03-08/entertainment/ca-13300_1_tom-petty |archive-date=October 28, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> A judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting further use of the ad and the suit was later settled out of court.<ref>{{cite news |title=BFG Ad Not Petty To Petty |work=Akron Beacon Journal |date=March 6, 1987 |page=D8}}</ref> Petty also disallowed [[George W. Bush]] from using "I Won't Back Down" for his 2000 presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/tom-petty-dead-latest-cease-and-desist-letter-george-w-bush-i-wont-back-down-politics-trump-a7979771.html|title=Tom Petty once sent a cease and desist letter to George W. Bush|first=Roisin|last=O'Connor|work=The Independent|date=October 2, 2017|access-date=August 28, 2021|archive-date=June 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622012400/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/tom-petty-dead-latest-cease-and-desist-letter-george-w-bush-i-wont-back-down-politics-trump-a7979771.html|url-status=live}}</ref> His family would do the same for [[Donald Trump]] in 2020, stating "Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/tom-pettys-family-send-cease-and-desist-letter-to-trump-for-song-use-news.112987.html|title=Tom Petty's Family Send Cease-And-Desist Letter To Trump For Song Use|work=HotNewHipHop|last=Bake|first=Cole|date=June 21, 2020|access-date=June 22, 2020|archive-date=June 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623082249/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/tom-pettys-family-send-cease-and-desist-letter-to-trump-for-song-use-news.112987.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Some outlets have claimed that the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] single "[[Dani California]]", released in May 2006, bears a close musical similarity to Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wgmd.com/newspost/fullnews.php?id=1142 |title=WGMD |publisher=[[WGMD]] |date=September 8, 2006 |access-date=January 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825150814/http://www.wgmd.com/newspost/fullnews.php?id=1142 |archive-date=August 25, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/31/104324.php |title=Red Hot Chili Peppers Accused of Plagiarism |date=May 31, 2006 |work=BC Magazine |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613063323/http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/31/104324.php |archive-date=June 13, 2006}}</ref> Petty told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', "I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock 'n' roll songs sound alike. Ask [[Chuck Berry]]. [[The Strokes]] took 'American Girl' for their song '[[Last Nite]]', and I saw an interview with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you' ... If someone took my song note for note and stole it maliciously, then maybe <nowiki>[I'd sue]</nowiki>. But I don't believe in lawsuits much. I think there are enough [[frivolous lawsuit]]s in this country without people fighting over pop songs."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Neil |last=Strauss |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10698880/tom_pettys_last_dance/4 |title=''Rolling Stone'' Interview, 2006 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=June 30, 2006 |access-date=January 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203134421/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10698880/tom_pettys_last_dance/4 |archive-date=December 3, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In January 2015, it was revealed that Petty and Jeff Lynne would receive royalties from [[Sam Smith (singer)|Sam Smith]]'s song "[[Stay with Me (Sam Smith song)|Stay with Me]]" after its writers acknowledged similarities between it and "I Won't Back Down". Petty and co-composer Lynne were each awarded 12.5% of the royalties from "Stay with Me", and their names were added to the [[ASCAP]] song credit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2015/01/tom-petty-awarded-songwriting-royalties-for-sam-smiths-stay-with-me/|title=Update: Tom Petty awarded songwriting royalties for Sam Smith's "Stay With Me"|work=Consequence of Sound|date=January 29, 2015|access-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218235728/https://consequence.net/2015/01/tom-petty-awarded-songwriting-royalties-for-sam-smiths-stay-with-me/|archive-date=December 18, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Petty clarified that he did not believe Smith plagiarized him, saying, "All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by. Sam's people were very understanding of our predicament and we easily came to an agreement".<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Kreps|first1=Daniel|title=Tom Petty on Sam Smith Settlement: 'No Hard Feelings. These Things Happen'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-on-sam-smith-settlement-no-hard-feelings-these-things-happen-20150129|access-date=January 31, 2015|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=January 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131054751/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-on-sam-smith-settlement-no-hard-feelings-these-things-happen-20150129|archive-date=January 31, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>