Tensions have resurfaced within one of Britain’s most iconic rock bands as a long-running dispute over royalties reaches the courts.

Former ‘Police’ Bandmates Sue ‘Sting’ Over Royalties

Fez – British singer Sting is facing a lawsuit from his former bandmates in The Police, who claim they were underpaid royalties for some of the group’s most iconic songs.

Guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland filed a civil case at the UK High Court, alleging that Sting failed to honor agreements dating back to the band’s peak years between 1977 and 1984.

Although Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, wrote most of the group’s biggest hits — including “Roxanne” and “Every Breath You Take” — Summers and Copeland argue they were promised a share of publishing income under an “oral agreement” made in 1977.

Court documents show the arrangement was later formalized in contracts from 1981, 1995, and 2016. Under the deal, band members who did not receive official writing credits were reportedly entitled to a percentage of royalties, often referred to as an “arrangers’ fee.”

Sting’s legal team, however, dismissed the latest claims as “illegitimate,” insisting that his former bandmates had already been compensated fairly.

At the center of the case is whether Summers and Copeland are owed money from both mechanical royalties — payments for recordings sold on CD, vinyl, or streamed online — or performance royalties, which are paid when songs are played publicly or broadcast.

Summers and Copeland argue they are entitled to both categories. Sting maintains that the agreement only applied to mechanical royalties. His lawyers further state that all three members signed a 2016 deal agreeing not to pursue further royalty claims.

Despite this, Summers and Copeland allege they have lost around $1.9 million (approximately MAD 17.26 million). Sting’s lawyers countered that the two musicians may, in fact, have been overpaid and could owe him money.

The Police, formed in 1977, became one of the world’s most successful rock bands of the era, with their 1983 single “Every Breath You Take” later named the most-played song on the radio worldwide. The band split just a year later amid personal and creative conflicts.

The trio reunited briefly for a world tour in 2007, but tensions have persisted. In interviews, Sting has said he felt limited by the band’s dynamic, while Copeland once described their final album sessions as “very dark.”

In 2022, Sting sold his entire songwriting catalog, including solo work and Police songs, to Universal Music Group in a deal reportedly worth $200 million (approximately MAD 1.8 billion).

The 72-year-old musician is currently on his “Sting 3.0” tour, performing in a three-piece lineup reminiscent of The Police. The outcome of the lawsuit could determine how future revenues from the band’s enduring hits are shared.