Sting sued by former the Police bandmates over ‘Every Breath You Take’ royalties

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The ex-band members of The Police, led by Sting and the bassist, are being taken to court for alleged failure to pay owed royalties on their popular song “Every Breath You Take.

In the lawsuit submitted to London High Court, musicians Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums), formerly of the band, assert that they were not given credit for songwriting on their group’s 1983 hit single – a popular tune from the ’80s, which was later sampled in Diddy and Faith Evans’ “I’ll Be Missing You.” They claim in this lawsuit that they have never been compensated for their songwriting efforts.

A representative for Sting did not immediately return a request for comment.

Music

Mikael Wood and August Brown attended the FireAid charity concerts held at both Inglewood’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum, with performances by artists such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Green Day, Stevie Wonder, and several others.

The Police was established in 1977 and soon rose to fame in the U.K., earning multiple chart-topping hits. They achieved their first U.S. number one single with “Every Breath You Take” before disbanding in 1984. Following their separation, Sting embarked on a successful solo journey with songs like “Fields of Gold” and “Englishman in New York.” Despite numerous disagreements both musically and personally within the band, The Police reunited for a profitable tour in 2007.

Back in February 2022, Sting parted ways with his entire collection of songwriting rights to Universal Music Group, reportedly receiving approximately $300 million. This move aligns him with other established musicians who have been garnering massive payouts for their publishing work. More recently, he graced the stage at the FireAid charity event in Inglewood.

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2025-08-27 21:01