Sting is facing a lawsuit from his former Police bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland regarding alleged unpaid royalties for their iconic song “Every Breath You Take,” as reported by the Los Angeles Times and other publications.
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Summers and Copeland have initiated their lawsuit in the London High Court, claiming they were not properly acknowledged as songwriters on “Every Breath You Take,” which is their most significant hit in the U.S. They also assert that they have not received royalties for their contributions.
The defendants in the lawsuit include Sting (real name: Gordon Matthew Sumner) and his publishing company, Magnetic Publishing.
The song “Every Breath You Take,” released in 1983, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the band’s first and only top position on that chart, and won multiple Grammy Awards, including song of the year and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.
The timeless track gained renewed popularity when Summers’ arpeggio was sampled in Puff Daddy and Faith Evans’ tribute to Notorious B.I.G. in 1997, titled “I’ll Be Missing You.” In 2023, Puff Daddy stated that he pays Sting $5,000 daily for the use of that sample, although he later retracted this statement.
In 2022, Sting sold his entire song catalog from his early days with The Police through his solo career to Universal Music Publishing Group. This strategic decision reunites his music publishing rights with his master recordings.
The terms of this deal were not disclosed; however, Billboard previously reported that Sting had been marketing a music asset bundle generating an annual royalty income of approximately $12-$13 million and was seeking around $360 million for it.
The Police, known for their bleach-blonde hair, dynamic performances, and collection of radio-friendly hits like “Roxanne,” “Message In A Bottle,” “Walking On The Moon,” “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” “Every Little Thing She Does,” and “King Of Pain,” were arguably one of the biggest bands globally during their peak.
In the UK, The Police achieved five consecutive No. 1 albums on the Official UK Albums Chart. After completing their world tour in support of the Synchronicity album in 1984, the band members pursued separate paths before briefly reuniting in 1986 to re-record “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” for a greatest hits collection.
The former bandmates reconciled to embark on a world tour from 2007 to 2008, celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary. Sting is scheduled to perform at QPAC’s Glasshouse Theatre in Brisbane next year, where he will showcase his musical The Last Ship.
