Can’t stand losing out: battle over the Police’s royalties reaches high court

Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland in 1979. Part of the dispute dates back to when the band formed in 1977. Photograph: Fin Costello/Redferns

There was a point in the early 1980s when the Police were so popular, it seemed every little thing they did was magic.

Four decades on, with a back catalogue of hits and millions of pounds worth of streaming royalties rolling in, the mood music has changed significantly.