Sting Sued by The Police Bandmates

Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland of the legendary band The Police are suing former bandmate Sting (Gordon Sumner) for approximately $2 million US in unpaid royalties, according to the BBC.

"In a civil case filed at the High Court, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, claim they have been underpaid for their contributions to songs like Roxanne and Every Breath You Take."

"Sting's lawyers denied they had been underpaid and argued that, in fact, Summers and Copeland may owe him money that has been overpaid to them."

The BBC stated that Summers and Copeland claim they worked on recordings with Sting (as The Police) between 1977 and 1984, but weren't properly credited. The plaintiffs claim that all three musicians agreed in 1977 to share income, which was followed by written contracts in1981, with revisions in 1995 and 2016.

The deals did not include digital distribution rights, which is now at the centre of the current lawsuit.

Rolling Stone magazine reported that Sting's lawyers claim, "depending on how the 2016 agreement is interpreted, Sting may not technically have to pay his bandmates anything when the Police’s music is played or sold online."

An administrative hearing for the case is scheduled to take place in January 2026.

The Police (L to R: Andy Summers, Sting, Stewart Copeland) (Photo credit: Peter Noble/Redferns)