Police Bandmates Sue Sting Over Unpaid Royalties

According to the Los Angeles Times and several other outlets, Sting has been named in a lawsuit filed by his former Police bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, who claim they were wrongly excluded from royalties on the timeless hit “Every Breath You Take.” LA Times

Summers and Copeland lodged their complaint in the London High Court, asserting that they never received official songwriting credits or the corresponding revenue for their creative contributions to the band’s most successful U.S. single.

The lawsuit names Gordon Matthew Sumner (better known as Sting) and his publishing concern, Magnetic Publishing, as defendants.

First released in 1983, “Every Breath You Take” climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went on to earn Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

The song’s legacy was further amplified in 1997 when Puff Daddy and Faith Evans sampled Andy Summers’s signature guitar arpeggio for “I’ll Be Missing You.” While Puff Daddy initially claimed he paid Sting $5,000 per day for the sample, he later retracted that figure.

In 2022, Sting sold his entire songwriting catalog—from his Police era through his solo work—to Universal Music Publishing Group. Industry reports estimate the deal fetched around $360 million and generated annual royalty streams of approximately $12–13 million.

With their distinctive looks, tight musicianship, and a repertoire that included “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” The Police amassed five consecutive No. 1 albums on the Official UK Albums Chart before dissolving after the 1984 Synchronicity world tour.

The trio briefly reunited in 1986 to re-record “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” for a greatest-hits compilation, and later embarked on a 2007–2008 global tour celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary.

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