US EditionSting's Police Bandmates Sue over 'Every Breath You Take' Royalties
Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland assert they contributed significantly to The Police's hit 'Every Breath You Take' yet received no songwriting credits or royalties, seeking millions in damages.
- Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have taken legal action against Sting and his publishing firm Magnetic Publishing in London’s High Court, alleging unpaid royalties related to their contributions on the hit track "Every Breath You Take."
- The lawsuit arose after failed attempts at an out-of-court settlement and claims that Summers and Copeland were never properly credited as co-writers since the song's 1983 release.
- Every Breath You Take was the Police's first U.S. number one hit, won two Grammy Awards, and continues to generate substantial royalties including nearly $745,000 annually and nearly 3 billion Spotify streams.
- During 2022, Sting transferred ownership of his full songwriting catalog, which includes both his solo work and songs created with The Police, to Universal Music Group in a transaction valued at approximately $250 million; this move has been connected to the ongoing dispute.
- The lawsuit signals continuing legal and financial tension within The Police's legacy and could affect future royalty distributions related to one of their most lucrative songs.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Sting vs. The Police — inside the royalties rumble over hit 1983...
Sting has been “stung” by a painful lawsuit. In UK courts, Sting’s former Police bandmates are suing the 73-year-old frontman over millions in allegedly missing royalties for the rock band’s biggest song, 1983’s “Every Breath You Take.” The singer — whose real name is Gordon Matthew Sumner — is said to earn a staggering $740,000...
After several failed negotiations, former members of The Police demanded copyright rights from Sting. The band's first guitarist, Frenchman Henry Padovani, was not surprised by the situation.
Forty years after the separation of the group The Police, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers accused Sting of not paying them millions of dollars of royalty. The first French guitarist of the English band, Henry Padovani, was not surprised but worried about the repercussions.
RollingStone
My SiteSting’s Ex-Police Bandmates Sue Him Over Unpaid ‘Every Breath You Take’ Royalties
Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have sued Sting, claiming they weren't properly paid for songwriting contributions on 'Every Breath You Take.'
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