Rock DJ and empresario Alan Freed used to claim songwriting credit as a form of payola. Mobbed-up thug Morris Levy, head of Roulette records, used to assign song-writing credit to his son in return for producing a record in the first place. He also bought up rights to, for example, Chuck Berry's songs for, well, a song.

It seems to come down to power: How badly does Smith want the song, and how willing would he be to negotiate some compromise? How likely would it be to find another well-known artist to put the song out there without demanding song-writing credit? If the song is that desirable, Smith would not be the only one who'd desire it, so it would be worth aggressively exploring other markets and alternatives to a take-it-or-leave-it resolution.

Did Smith or his agent show up with a satchel full of cash which he spilled out on the negotiating table? The unpublished artist understandably sees any chance as the only one, but if the first offer is a stack of money and royalties without song-writing credit, it seems like a better deal-or the threat of one-could be found elsewhere.