"As reported by The New York Times, The Police drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers filed their lawsuit in the High Court in London, alleging the band's lead vocalist and primary songwriter owes them "arranger's fees" stemming from the "digital exploitation" of The Police's back catalog. In the court documents, Copeland and Summers estimate they are owed "in excess of $2 million.""
"Responding to the lawsuit, Sting's lawyers claim that the singer and his former bandmates signed an agreement covering the "arranger's fees" in 2016 to settle a previous dispute over publishing income from The Police's songs being used in TV shows and movies. In the defense document, Sting's team said the lawsuit was "an illegitimate attempt" to reinterpret the 2016 agreement and that he had "substantially overpaid" Copeland and Summers based on one interpretation of the original terms."
"This dispute dates back to The Police's formation in 1977, when Sting initially agreed to pay Copeland and Summers "15 percent of some royalties" from songs he wrote for the group. That agreement was formalized in 1981 and then revised in 1997 after Copeland and Summers claimed they had been underpaid "for a considerable period." Roughly three decades later, the trio signed the new agreement that is now in dispute."
Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers filed a lawsuit in London alleging Sting owes arranger's fees from digital exploitation of The Police's back catalog, estimating more than $2 million owed. Sting's lawyers say a 2016 agreement settled those arranger's fees and characterize the suit as an attempt to reinterpret that agreement, arguing Sting may have substantially overpaid his former bandmates under one interpretation. The dispute traces to agreements beginning in 1977, formalized in 1981 and revised in 1997, with a later settlement roughly three decades after. Sting earns about £550,000 annually as sole songwriter of "Every Breath You Take."
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