Police Bandmates Sue Sting Over ‘Every Breath You Take’
Sting is facing a lawsuit from his former bandmates in The Police, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, who claim they were unfairly excluded from songwriting credits and royalties for the iconic 1983 hit “Every Breath You Take.” According to The Guardian, the lawsuit—filed in London’s High Court—alleges that Summers and Copeland contributed creatively to the track but never received compensation for their input.
The legal action names Sting, listed under his full name Gordon Matthew Sumner, and his company, Magnetic Publishing Ltd., as defendants.
Formed in 1977, The Police achieved massive success with “Every Breath You Take,” which topped the U.S. charts and became the best-selling single in America in 1983. The song’s cultural impact only grew after it was famously sampled in P. Diddy and Faith Evans’ 1997 tribute to Notorious B.I.G., “I’ll Be Missing You.” Although the band split in 1984, the track’s enduring popularity has kept royalties flowing—just not, apparently, to all involved.
“This has been building for a long time,” a source told The Sun. “Lawyers have tried repeatedly to reach a settlement, but talks broke down. Andy and Stewart felt court was the only remaining option. They believe they’ve missed out on millions.”
A representative for Sting, now 73, denied that the lawsuit specifically concerns “Every Breath You Take,” but did not provide further clarification. The case is being handled under the category of “general commercial contracts and arrangements.”
Despite sporadic reunions over the years, Sting has kept his distance from fully reviving The Police, emphasizing his preference for the creative freedom of solo work.
In 2022, Sting joined a growing list of music legends cashing in on their back catalogs, selling his to Universal Music Group in a deal reportedly worth $300 million. That move placed him alongside artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and the estate of David Bowie, all of whom have struck massive catalog deals in recent years.
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