Hook files lawsuit

In November 2015, Peter Hook sued Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert. In an objection, it was revealed that Sumner, Morris and Gilbert had set up a new company behind Hook’s back, which generated an income of £7.8 million in four years, while Hook received only a fraction of that sum. The three members argued they had treated Hook fairly and that his stake in the band’s royalties was reasonable, despite the fact that in four years, Hook had only received “1.25 per cent of the band’s royalties and other income from merchandising and performances”. The judge ruled that there was “at least a reasonable prospect” of Hook proving that he was not getting a fair share of royalties and other income and rejected Sumner and Morris’s lawyer’s argument. The judge was willing to hear the case but urged the parties to come to an agreement rather than suffer legal costs of around £900,000. On 20 September 2017, the band announced that a full and final settlement had been reached in the dispute.