Sting pays former Police bandmates over $800,000 in royalties amid lawsuit
Sting has reportedly paid his former Police bandmates over $800,000 (£598,000) in royalties since they filed a lawsuit in September. Guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland took the frontman and his publishing company to court in London for “substantial damages” last year, after years of legal disputes between the group. Advertisement They claimed that Sting owed them between $2million (1.5million) and $10.75million (£8million) in unpaid royalties, and at a hearing in London’s High Court on Wednesday (January 14), Summers and Copeland’s lawyers said their claim could rise even higher, arguing that their “historic underpayment” did not include interest. The BBC have reported that since the legal proceedings launched, the two musicians have received a payment of “over $800,000”. [embedded content] Sting denies that they are entitled to a portion of his income from streaming or download sales, arguing those formats should be categorised as “public performance” rather than sales. Copeland and Summers did not receive writing credits on The Police’s hits, which include ‘Every Breath You Take’, a song that reportedly earns Sting £550,000 in royalties per year alone. Recommended Even though they are not credited, they claim that they are owed “arranger’s fees” from the “digital exploitation” of the band’s back catalogue. The band formed in 1977 and Sting initially agreed to pay Summers and Copeland 15 per cent of “some… Read More →
