‘Tom Petty’ Makes Startling Plagiarism Discovery in New Video

In a hilarious new video, Funny or Die imagines an entirely different response from Tom Petty to the recent plagiarism controversy regarding a hit song by Sam Smith.

The clip, which you can watch above, finds "Tom Petty" acknowledging the similarities between his own ‘I Won’t Back Down’ and Smith's 'Stay With Me,' and adding that this sort of thing has happened before with his music. In sharp contrast to his remarkably chill real-life response, however, this time you get the sense of a previously unseen rage bubbling just beneath the surface.

"I now get 12 percent of that songs royalties," the actor playing Petty quips, laughing himself so silly that he nearly swerves into the path of an oncoming car. "Hey! Sounds a lot like my car horn," he shouts over the honking. "I got your license plate, thief! Don't f-- with me! I'll steal 12 percent of your soul!"

It's only later, during a trip down the radio dial, that the video uncovers similarities in Petty's own songs with earlier hits by the likes of Blue Oyster Cult, Chris Isaak and Talking Heads. Oops!

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