Anthropic reaches proposed $1.5B settlement in copyright class action — what it means
Anthropic has agreed to a proposed $1.5 billion settlement to resolve a class-action copyright lawsuit brought by authors and publishers. Reports indicate the settlement would provide roughly $3,000 per work to affected authors and may cover around 500,000 works, subject to court approval and final notices to class members.
Key points
- Settlement amount: $1.5 billion (proposed)
- Per-work payment: ~ $3,000 per registered work (reported)
- Affected class: Authors and publishers whose works were allegedly used without authorization to train Anthropic’s models
- Legal context: A June district-court ruling on fair use (Judge William Alsup) finding that certain AI training can be transformative influenced the litigation’s course
Statement
“In June, the District Court issued a landmark ruling on AI development and copyright law, finding that Anthropic’s approach to training AI models constitutes fair use,” Anthropic’s Deputy General Counsel Aparna Sridhar said. “Today’s settlement, if approved, will resolve the plaintiffs’ remaining legacy claims. We remain committed to developing safe AI systems that help people and organizations extend their capabilities, advance scientific discovery, and solve complex problems.”
Why it matters
The settlement — if approved by the court — would represent one of the largest payouts in a U.S. copyright case and could have wide-ranging implications for how AI companies collect and use copyrighted text during model training. It may also influence future litigation and licensing practices across the industry.
Next steps
The settlement is subject to court approval and formal notice to class members. Interested authors should watch for official communications from the court and class counsel for eligibility and claims information.
Sources & further reading
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