Overview
- London’s High Court began a two-day preliminary hearing on Wednesday before Mr Justice Bright, with a full trial expected later.
- Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland seek roughly $2 million, arguing a long-standing 15% arranger’s-fee practice entitles them to a share of streaming revenue.
- Their case cites a chain of agreements from 1977, 1981, 1997 and a 2016 settlement, which did not explicitly mention streaming.
- Sting disputes liability, arguing the fees apply only to mechanical income from the manufacture of records, and his legal team calls the claim an illegitimate reinterpretation.
- Court filings state Sting has paid more than $800,000 (about £600,000) since the lawsuit began in admitted historic underpayments, even as the core streaming claim remains contested.