After decades of simmering tensions beneath the surface of one of rock’s most celebrated bands, former Police members Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have taken their battle for unpaid royalties to London’s High Court, filing a lawsuit against bandmate Sting and his company, Magnetic Publishing Limited.
The legal action follows years of failed private settlement attempts, escalating longstanding disputes over songwriting credits and royalty distribution that have plagued the trio since their commercial peak in the early 1980s.
At the center of the controversy is the mega-hit “Every Breath You Take,” which reportedly generates approximately £550,000 (roughly $1 million CAD) annually for Sting, who received sole songwriting credit for the track.
Summers and Copeland assert they contributed substantially to the band’s success but have been systematically excluded from the financial rewards, particularly after the song gained renewed commercial value when sampled by Puff Daddy in 1997 for “I’ll Be Missing You.”
The Police, who dominated the music scene with albums like Regatta de Blanc and Synchronicity, sold over 75 million albums worldwide before disbanding in the mid-1980s amid creative tensions and ego conflicts.
Their brief reunions for the 2003 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and 2007-2008 tour did little to resolve the underlying financial grievances that have now erupted into formal litigation. The reunion tour was a massive financial success, grossing over $360 million despite being described as both “joyful” and “torture” by band members.
The case highlights broader industry issues regarding fair compensation for collaborative work in bands, where official songwriters typically receive the lion’s share of royalties regardless of bandmates’ contributions to composition.
Music industry observers note that such disputes frequently emerge decades after original recordings due to continuing revenue streams from streaming platforms, sampling, and licensing deals.
The lawsuit seeks “substantial” damages, potentially amounting to millions of pounds in alleged unpaid royalties. According to court documents, the litigation was registered under general commercial contracts after previous attempts at an out-of-court settlement failed.
Proper registration with performance rights organizations could have potentially prevented some of these disputes by establishing clear ownership and royalty distribution from the outset.
As the case progresses through London’s High Court under general commercial contracts, it may establish significant precedents regarding band member royalty rights and retrospective song credit disputes in the music industry.
Industry experts point out that sync deals for television and film have become increasingly important revenue streams that can reignite conflicts over historic songwriting credits.
