Sting has been sued by his former bandmates from The Police for alleged copyright infringement of the hit song "Every Breath You Take.".

In the lawsuit filed in the High Court in London, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland claim that they never received royalties for the 1983 single. The two also claim that they were never paid for their contribution to the song's writing.

The case was filed under "general commercial contracts and agreements."

Sting is listed as the defendant under his real name, Gordon Matthew Summers, along with his company Magnetic Publishing Ltd., writes The Guardian.

The Police formed in 1977 and achieved number one in the US with Every Breath You Take, which is included on the band's fifth and final album, Synchronicity.

It was the best-selling single in the US in 1983, the fifth best-selling single of the decade, and was used in P Diddy and Faith Evans' 1997 song I'll Be Missing You.

The band also had chart success with Roxanne, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, and Don't Stand So Close to Me before breaking up in 1984.

A representative for 73-year-old Sting denied that the lawsuit was related to Every Breath You Take but did not provide details on the case, The Sun reported.

The Police reunite on numerous occasions and in 2023 launch an official TikTok account to mark the 40th anniversary of Synchronicity.

In 2021, Sting said he regretted reforming the trio in 2007, calling the subsequent tour "an exercise in nostalgia."

The musician explained at the time that he prefers to be a solo artist because it gives him "complete freedom."

"It's not about power at all, it's about creating the music that you feel is right," he said.

In June, Sting performed his greatest hits at the Isle of Wight Festival, including "Message in a Bottle," "An Englishman in New York," "Walking on the Moon," and "Fragile."

In January, he also performed at the FireAid charity concert in Inglewood, California.

In 2022, Sting sold his entire catalog of songs to Universal for about $300 million. He is the latest prominent musician to capitalize on his long and successful career.

Bruce Springsteen sold his entire catalog of songs to Sony Music in a $500 million deal, and David Bowie's heirs struck a $250 million deal with Warner Music.

In 2020, Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog of 600 songs, including Blowin' in the Wind and Knockin' on Heaven's Door, to Universal for nearly $400 million, setting an industry benchmark for future deals. | BGNES