Sting faces £1.5m lawsuit from former The Police bandmates over royalties
Sting faces lawsuit from Police members over claims of unpaid song royalties
- Guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland have filed a civil suit against Sting in London, claiming unpaid royalties and songwriting credits for songs like "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take".
- The pair allege an "oral agreement" to share publishing income was later formalised but not honoured, leading to them being underpaid.
- Summers and Copeland are seeking an estimated £1.5m in damages, arguing they are entitled to a share of both mechanical and performance royalties.
- Sting denies the claims, with his lawyers stating existing agreements were honoured and a 2016 revision included a clause preventing further claims.
- The dispute highlights long-standing tensions within The Police, with Summers asserting his crucial contribution to "Every Breath You Take" despite Sting being the sole credited writer.