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Sting’s Lawyers Push Back on Police Royalties Suit, Say Bandmates Were ‘Substantially Overpaid’

The case turns on how a 2016 arranger’s‑fee agreement applies to digital revenue from the catalog.

Overview

  • Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have sued in London High Court seeking more than $2 million tied to the digital exploitation of the Police’s recordings.
  • They argue they are owed arranger’s fees on songs credited solely to Sting, including several of the band’s biggest hits.
  • Sting’s legal team calls the claim an illegitimate reinterpretation of a 2016 deal and asserts the pair may already have been substantially overpaid.
  • Court documents cite a 1977 understanding to share 15% of publishing income, later set down in 1981 and revised in 1997.
  • The dispute is listed as a general commercial contracts matter, with an administrative hearing scheduled for January.