Sting pays out over £595k in royalties case

STING has paid almost £600,000 to his two former Police bandmates since the start of a legal case between them, the High Court heard yesterday.

- BY DANNY HALPIN

The singer and bassist's £1.5mil-lion case against a claim by drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers is focused on how old royalty agreements apply to new streaming technology.

And Sting's barrister said he has paid more than £595,000 in "admitted historic underpayments" to the pair since the legal action began.

Sting, who wrote most of the band's hits, struck deals with the pair in the late 1970s to pay them "arranger's fees" of 15%, it was said.

They began suing him in 2024, saying money generated from streaming was not being paid to them.