Sting pays former Police bandmates after copyright dispute over streaming royalties

Sting has paid roughly $800,000 to his former bandmates from The Police following a copyright dispute that began in late 2024, his legal representative confirmed Wednesday during a hearing at England's High Court.

Andy Summers, the band's guitarist, and Stewart Copeland, the drummer, sued Sting—whose real name is Gordon Sumner—and his company Magnetic Publishing Limited over what they claim are unpaid digital streaming royalties. Sting's defense attorney, Robert Howe, told the court that the musician had already made payments to his former colleagues for "certain admitted historical underpayments" since the litigation commenced.

The two musicians are seeking more than $2 million in what they describe as "arranger fees" based on a nearly 50-year-old agreement. Under that accord, each band member is entitled to receive 15 percent of royalties generated by compositions written by the other members in their capacity as arrangers.

The dispute centers on streaming revenue from The Police's catalog, which includes iconic songs such as "Every Breath You Take," released in 1983. That track has appeared in numerous films and television series, including Friends and Stranger Things, and remains one of the most recognizable songs in popular music.

The preliminary hearing took place Wednesday and Thursday at the High Court in London. This stage of proceedings is not the full trial itself but rather an examination of the case's foundational issues. None of the three band members appeared in person at the hearing.

Summers and Copeland contend that they did not receive proper credit as co-authors of the group's songs and that they were underpaid on digital royalties. The lawsuit was filed in late 2024 against Sting and Magnetic Publishing Limited.