• Sting has paid former Police bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland a six‑figure royalty sum after a High Court dispute.
• Court papers disclose a payment of around $870,000 (about £647,000), described elsewhere as “over $800,000”.
• Summers and Copeland say they are owed far more – at least £8m – if streaming and downloads are included.
• The High Court will decide whether their amended claim to streaming revenue can proceed to trial.

H2: Payment follows High Court claim

Sting has made a substantial payment to his former Police bandmates after they launched legal proceedings in London. Court filings from the High Court disclose a payment of roughly $870,000 (about £647,000), which has also been described in filings as “over $800,000” (around £595,000). The payment followed a claim brought last year by guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland.

H3: What Summers and Copeland say

Summers and Copeland argue they were entitled to an “arrangers’ fee” — typically about 15% — under an oral agreement first made in 1977 and later reflected in written contracts. They say that, although Sting was the primary songwriter, the trio agreed to share a portion of publishing income when other members made crucial contributions, pointing to Summers’ guitar line on Every Breath You Take as an example.

Their lawyers say some of those payments were withheld and want the court to allow an amended case asserting entitlement to royalties from downloads and streaming services. In court papers they estimate the total value of their claim as “not less than £8m” and say it could be considerably larger if the amended claim proceeds.

H3: Sting’s defence

Sting denies Summers and Copeland are entitled to a share of streaming and download income. His lawyers argue streaming revenue amounts to a “public performance” rather than a sale and is therefore outside the scope of the 2016 agreement, which they say limits royalties to income derived from the manufacture of records.

Sting’s team has also contested the attempt to amend the claim, saying the new arguments have “no real prospect of success”. The bandmates’ filings noted the recent payment but said no interest had been added to what they call a “historic underpayment”.

H3: Background and context

The Police rose to global fame after forming in 1977 with hits such as Roxanne, Message in a Bottle and Every Breath You Take. The group split in 1984, briefly reunited for a world tour in 2007–08, and have long had a fractious relationship. In 2022, Sting sold his songwriting catalogue to Universal Music Group in a deal reported to be worth around $200m.

H4: Next steps

A two‑day preliminary hearing before Mr Justice Bright is under way, with the hearing scheduled to conclude on Thursday. If the judge allows the amended claim, a full trial will be set to resolve whether Summers and Copeland can recover streaming and download royalties under the prior agreements.

Sources: High Court filings and reporting from the hearing in London.

Image Referance: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn42lp1135vo