Irish songwriter Ray Heffernan is preparing legal action against British singer Robbie Williams in Dublin to demand higher compensation for co-writing his hit song Angels.
Heffernan plans to invoke a bestseller clause under European copyright regulations, arguing that the financial settlement he accepted before the track became a global pop hit was disproportionately low.
Williams maintains that he wrote the track alongside his regular collaborator Guy Chambers, though the singer has previously acknowledged recording an early demo with Heffernan and making a financial agreement with him.
Meeting in a Dublin pub
The dispute traces back to 1996, when Williams had recently departed from the boy band Take That and was establishing his career as a solo artist.
According to Heffernan, the pair met by chance in a Dublin pub, where he shared an early version of a song he had been working on. Heffernan said the composition was inspired by a painful period in his life following the loss of his partner's pregnancy.
Following their initial meeting, the two musicians recorded a demo together. Williams has since confirmed that the recording session took place.
Dispute over the initial financial agreement
Heffernan said he accepted a financial deal of 7,500 pounds to surrender his rights to the song before it was officially released. He said he was initially offered 2,500 pounds, but the amount was increased after he requested a songwriting credit.
After Heffernan signed the agreement, Angels became the signature hit of Williams' solo career, becoming one of the most prominent British pop anthems of the late 1990s.
The track has accumulated hundreds of millions of streams and numerous cover versions. In 2005, British listeners voted Angels as the best song of the past 25 years at the Brit Awards.
Legal argument under European copyright law
Legal advisors for Heffernan contend that European copyright legislation permits creators to seek additional payment if an initial contract yields compensation that is disproportionately low compared to the ultimate commercial success of the work.
Heffernan said he is not attempting to rewrite the history of the song, but seeks a revised financial settlement that reflects its massive success.
Robbie Williams responds to authorship claims
Williams has consistently rejected Heffernan's claims regarding full authorship. The British pop star maintains that he and Chambers heavily reworked the original demo to create the final version released to the public.
Williams previously referred to Heffernan as a fantasist, while acknowledging the early demo recording and the existence of a pre-release financial contract.
The matter may now proceed before a judge. Despite the ongoing legal dispute, Angels remains Williams' signature concert closer, regularly drawing crowd singalongs at live performances worldwide.
