The Police Are Suing Sting

Sting, whose real name is Gordon Matthew Sumner, was sued by his former Police bandmates, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, in London's High Court. 

The lawsuit centers on allegations of "millions in lost royalties," with the pair claiming they were not properly credited or compensated for their contributions to the band's hit song "Every Breath You Take," released in 1983 on the album Synchronicity. This track, the band's biggest hit, was the best-selling U.S. single of 1983 and the fifth best-selling of the decade, reportedly earning Sting around £550,000 (approximately $745,000) annually in royalties.

Summers has publicly stated that his distinctive guitar riff was crucial to completing the song, which has surpassed two billion streams on Spotify, making it one of the most-played songs in history. He argues that he deserves a co-writing credit, a claim he has made for years. 

Copeland and Summers allege they were never paid for their writing contributions, and the lawsuit is listed under "general commercial contracts and arrangements," with Sting and his company, Magnetic Publishing Limited, named as defendants.

The legal action follows years of reported tension within the band, which formed in London in 1977 and achieved global fame with hits like "Roxanne," "Message in a Bottle," and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." 

The Police disbanded in 1984 after their fifth album, Synchronicity, amid well-documented personal and creative conflicts. Copeland once described Sting as having "an ego so large it is visible from the moon," and the recording of Synchronicity was so fractious that band members reportedly worked in separate rooms. 

The Police, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and winners of five Grammy Awards, sold over 75 million records before their initial split. Sting, who has enjoyed a successful solo career, sold his entire songwriting catalog, including The Police’s hits, to Universal Music Publishing Group in 2022 for an estimated $300 million. This lawsuit highlights ongoing financial and creative divides within one of rock’s most iconic bands.