JAKARTA - The dispute over royalties in the internal The Police has entered a new phase. Sting is reported to have poured more than 500 thousand pounds (Rp11.9 billion) to two of his former colleagues, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland.
This step was taken by Sting after he admitted that there were past royalty payment deficiencies that triggered a legal dispute in the London High Court.
According to a BBC report, in court documents, Sting's legal team confirmed that Summers and Copeland had received payments of 870,000 US dollars or about 647,000 pounds.
The nominal was paid after the two filed a lawsuit last year regarding claims of income from hit songs such as "Roxanne" to "Every Breath You Take".
Even though the payment had been made, the plaintiff noted that the nominal amount had not included interest for late payment over the years.
The feud is rooted in an oral agreement in 1977 which was later formalized in a written contract. Although Sting is the main composer, the three agreed to divide the percentage of publishing revenue, usually 15 percent, as an arranger's fee.
The deal is a form of appreciation for the creative contributions of other members, such as Summers' iconic guitar riff in the song "Every Breath You Take".
However, Summers and Copeland accused Sting of deliberately withholding some of the payments, especially those sourced from the digital era.
Summers and Copeland's lawyers are now seeking to expand the lawsuit by demanding a share of streaming and digital download revenue.
They argue that the 1997 and 2016 agreements should be reinterpreted in light of modern music industry developments, where streaming has replaced physical sales such as vinyl and CDs. They estimate that the total claim could swell to more than 8 million pounds.
On the other hand, Sting's camp insisted on rejecting the additional claim. Sting's lawyer argued that The Police's music played on digital services such as Spotify is categorized as "public performance" and not direct sales, so his former bandmates are not entitled to the royalties. They also emphasized that the 2016 agreement only regulates royalties derived from "record manufacturing".
This legal drama is ironic considering the long history of The Police which is full of dynamics. The band formed in 1977 was once one of the most successful groups in the world before breaking up in 1984 due to sharp personal conflicts.
Stewart Copeland even described the recording process for the album "Synchronicity" as a very dark time, where the members physically fought each other.
Despite having a successful reunion tour in 2007, their relationship is now being tested at the green table, after Sting sold his song catalog to Universal Music Group for 200 million US dollars in 2022.
The trial before Justice Bright is scheduled to continue to determine whether the case will go to a full trial.
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