Anthropic’s $1.5B Copyright Settlement Approved; Only 350 Authors Opted Out

A judge approved Anthropic’s $1.5 billion settlement with authors, resolving the largest certified copyright class action and reportedly setting a record for a copyright settlement. The case followed a ruling that training AI on books could qualify as fair use, while Anthropic’s alleged piracy of works likely did not. Only 350 authors opted out. Earlier opponents argued that attorneys’ fees were excessive and payouts were too low, with an estimated payment of about $3,000 per work. Some authors sought to preserve the option of pursuing separate lawsuits.