Loading…
A federal judge has granted final approval to Anthropic's $1.5 billion settlement with authors and publishers, marking the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history. The payout, estimated at roughly $3,000 per work, covers over 500,000 books that Anthropic allegedly pirated to train its AI models. Source: latimesSource: theverge
U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín approved the settlement on Monday, calling it “meaningful relief” for affected authors. The case originated from a 2024 class-action lawsuit led by author Andrea Bartz, who accused Anthropic of downloading books from piracy sites like Library Genesis without permission. Source: gizmodo While the court previously ruled that training AI on copyrighted books is fair use, the judge found that Anthropic's method of acquiring and storing pirated books was not protected. Source: latimes
More than 91% of eligible authors and publishers have claimed their share. Notable beneficiaries include Bloomsbury Publishing, home to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, which expects about $19 million for its 14,087 titles. Source: theguardian However, around 350 authors opted out, pursuing individual lawsuits for potentially larger damages. Source: latimes
This settlement resolves only the piracy aspect of the case and does not establish binding legal precedent, as it was not tried. Anthropic still faces other copyright lawsuits from entities like Chicken Soup for the Soul. Source: theverge The decision underscores the ongoing tension between fair use and copyright in AI development. Source: gizmodo
“Anthropic will pay $1.5 billion to authors whose pirated books it used to train its AI in the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history.”
“Bloomsbury, which is home to bestselling novelists Sarah J Maas and Susanna Clarke as well as JK Rowling, said it had 14,087 titles listed within the settlement, with a proposed compensation of about $3,000 each.”
“U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed both sides a partial victory last year. He ruled that Anthropic’s use of copyrighted books to train its AI models was protected under fair use.”
“Anthropic is still facing copyright lawsuits from Chicken Soup for the Soul and several other authors who argue that $3,000 per book isn’t enough.”