A royalty battle is brewing between Sting and his former bandmates, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, with a potential payout of over half a million pounds at stake. But here's where it gets controversial...
Sting, the former frontman of The Police, has acknowledged underpaying royalties to his bandmates, according to court documents. The trio, who formed in 1977, are now arguing over the rights to iconic songs like "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take."
Summers and Copeland claim they are owed over $2 million from Sting and his publishing company, but Sting denies their entitlement to a share of his streaming and download sales income. The bandmates did not receive writing credits on most of The Police's hits, but they argue that an "oral agreement" to share income was made in 1977, later formalized in written contracts.
The agreement acknowledged Sting's role as the chief composer, but also recognized the crucial contributions of Summers and Copeland, such as Summers' iconic guitar line in "Every Breath You Take." As a result, the band decided to share a percentage of publishing income with each other, typically 15%, known as an arrangers' fee.
Summers and Copeland took legal action against Sting last year, claiming he had withheld some of these payments. They are now seeking permission from the court to bring new arguments, claiming they are owed money from all streaming and download income, based on their agreements in 1997 and 2016.
Their lawyers argue that the language of these agreements should be interpreted in light of the changing music industry, where streaming income has replaced physical sales. They acknowledge a recent payment of $870,000 from Sting, but note that no interest was added to the "historic underpayment."
Sting's lawyers, however, argue that he is not obligated to pay royalties for streaming services like Spotify, as this is considered "public performance" rather than a sale. They further claim that Summers and Copeland are not eligible for streaming and digital sales royalties, as their 2016 agreement only covers payments derived from "the manufacture of records."
The Police's innovative sound, blending rock guitars with reggae rhythms, produced hits like "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon." Their success peaked with the US number one single "Every Breath You Take" in 1983, which later became the most-played radio song of all time.
However, personal and musical differences led to the band's split in 1984. They briefly reunited in 2007 for a lucrative world tour, but tensions remained, with Copeland describing the recording sessions for their final album as "very dark."
In 2022, Sting sold his songwriting catalogue to Universal Music Group for an estimated $200 million, including the rights to his solo hits and The Police's songs.
And this is the part most people miss... The controversy surrounding royalty payments and the interpretation of old agreements highlights the complex nature of the music industry and the challenges artists face in protecting their rights and income in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
What are your thoughts on this legal battle? Do you think Sting should be obligated to pay royalties to his former bandmates for streaming services? Let's discuss in the comments!
