Sting‘s former bandmates in the Police are taking him to court over “millions in lost royalties.” Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers are suing Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, and his company Magnetic Publishing Limited.
Details of the lawsuit, filed in London’s High Court, were unavailable. But Summers has long claimed a missing co-writing credit on “Every Breath You Take,” the Police’s biggest hit single.
Summers said a unique part he came up with completed the unfinished song. “It’s now past two billion plays on Spotify, so it is actually the most-played song of all-time history,” Summers told Guitar Player late last year, “which makes my guitar riff one of the most-played riffs in history.”
How Much Does Sting Make From ‘Every Breath You Take’?
Decades later, Sting still gets complete credit for “Every Breath You Take.” That arrangement pays him nearly $745,000 a year in royalties, according to The Sun.
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Summers hinted at pending legal issues in late 2024: “Watch the press,” he said. “Let’s see what happens in the next year.” People magazine reports that the new lawsuit specifically mentions cowriting credits on the song and royalties, while the Mirror says a spokesman for Sting denied the lawsuit was related to “Every Breath You Take” but did not elaborate any further.
Why Did Sting’s Bandmates Take Him to Court?
“This has been coming for quite some time,” a source told The Sun. “Lawyers tried repeatedly to reach an out-of-court settlement but hit a stalemate. Andy and Stewart decided there was no alternative than court so pressed the button. They say they are owed millions in lost royalties.”
Multiple other media outlets, including the Daily Mail, Parade and Metro, reached out to representatives to find out more but had not received a reply.
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