London, UK — Looks like the long arm of the law has a new case: The Police vs. The Police. Yes, you read that right. Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have officially filed a lawsuit against their former bandmate Sting (a.k.a. Gordon Matthew Sumner), claiming millions in unpaid royalties for the global smash hit “Every Breath You Take.”
The irony? The song about obsessive surveillance is now watching Sting’s bank account very closely.
What’s the Beef?
The core allegation: Sting has been cashing royalty checks for over four decades while Summers and Copeland have been left humming the riff for free. Summers famously wrote the haunting, iconic guitar line that made the song a classic—and apparently, lawyers agree it’s pretty unforgettable too.
Sting, however, holds the sole songwriting credit. Translation: the copyright says “Gordon Matthew Sumner,” and that means Gordon gets the green. Reports claim Sting rakes in roughly $738,000 annually from this one track alone. That’s a nice passive income stream for a song about not blinking.
After years of private negotiations and out-of-court tangoes, Summers and Copeland have had enough. They’re now asking London’s High Court to open the vault and share the spoils.
The Takeaway for Today’s Songwriters
Here’s where the real lesson hits harder than a Stewart Copeland snare: Get your splits in writing—before the song blows up.
If Sting indeed wrote 100% of the lyrics and registered the copyright in his name back in 1983, it’s his intellectual property. And that’s the key phrase: intellectual property is like land—you either own it, or you’re just renting studio space.
Summers’ riff is legendary, no doubt. But without formal co-writing credit or an arrangement filed with a PRO (like PRS, BMI, or ASCAP), you can end up playing the long game—42 years long—with no payout.
Practical Advice
Split Sheets Are Your Best Friend: Before you leave the studio, write down who owns what percentage of the song. Every collaborator signs. No exceptions.
Lyrics vs. Arrangement: Under copyright law, the song usually refers to lyrics and melody, not riffs, drum parts, or bass lines. If you want credit for a killer riff? Negotiate it up front.
Don’t Wait 40 Years: Because by then, your ex-bandmate might be buying a vineyard in Tuscany with your dream car money.
This whole saga stings more than Sting himself. But it’s also a cautionary tale for every indie artist, songwriter, and producer grinding in today’s music scene: royalties don’t care about good vibes, they care about paperwork.
So next time you’re in the studio, remember: every split you take… every sheet you make… sign it now, for goodness’ sake.
