Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, The Police’s guitarist and drummer, sued former bandmate Sting and his publishing company, Magnetic Publishing, in London’s High Court over allegedly unpaid arranger’s fees. The dispute centers on whether older royalty agreements cover income from streaming and digital downloads. The case was still described as unresolved in June 2026; no later ruling was verified as of October 8, 2026.
What Summers and Copeland say they are owed
The claim concerns arranger’s fees connected to The Police catalogue. At a preliminary High Court hearing reported on January 14, 2026, the claimants’ side said more than $2 million was owed. That is the amount asserted in the claim, not a court award or a finding that Sting owes it.
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At the same hearing, Sting’s counsel told the court that more than $800,000 had been paid since legal action began. That reported payment is a separate figure: it does not settle the claim’s total value or decide how the agreements should be interpreted. RTÉ reported the hearing and figures on January 14, 2026.
Why streaming and downloads are at the heart of the dispute
The disagreement is about how earlier agreements governing royalty shares and arranger’s fees apply to newer ways of selling and listening to music. Summers and Copeland’s position, as reported, would apply the fee arrangements to a wider range of commercial exploitation. Sting’s side contests how the agreement language applies to streaming.
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- Released in 1992, the Greatest Hits collection includes 16 classic tracks, including "Roxanne," "Message in a Bottle," "Don't' Stand So Close to Me," "Wrapped Around Your Finger," and the global smash, "Every Breath You Take
That makes this a dispute over the meaning and reach of particular contracts, not a ruling that sets a general rule for how musicians must be paid for streaming. The court’s interpretation of the agreements would be central to resolving the parties’ competing positions.
Why “Every Breath You Take” is mentioned so often
“Every Breath You Take,” released by The Police in 1983, is the best-known song associated with the case in news coverage. Its prominence does not mean a court has found that Summers or Copeland co-wrote it, or decided that the song generates a particular amount owed to them. Those questions should not be treated as settled by the lawsuit. The Los Angeles Times’ August 27, 2025 report identifies the song as central to coverage of the dispute.
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- The fifth and final studio album by the Police, Synchronicity was released in June 1983, and was the band's most successful release
What is known about the case’s status
A June 2026 report described the dispute as unresolved. No later ruling or procedural order had been verified as of October 8, 2026, so the available account does not establish whether the claim has since been decided, settled or otherwise changed. NME’s June 2026 report discussed the continuing dispute.
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- Ghost in the Machine is the multi-platinum fourth studio album from the Police
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