Anthropic’s $1.5 billion book piracy settlement approved by judge - The Verge

What the report says

The Verge reports that a federal judge has approved Anthropic’s $1.5 billion class action settlement with authors who alleged the AI company used pirated copyrighted books to train its models. According to the report, Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín signed the order Monday, finding that the agreement would deliver meaningful compensation, with eligible authors expected to receive about $3,000 for each book at issue.

The case was brought in 2024 by authors Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson. The Verge, citing earlier Reuters reporting and court history, notes that now-retired Judge William Alsup previously gave Anthropic a partial win on some issues, but allowed a separate class claim centered on alleged large-scale downloading of works to proceed. Anthropic agreed to the settlement in September 2025, and Alsup later gave it preliminary approval.

The plaintiffs’ law firm described the deal as the largest known copyright recovery to date, The Verge reported. Anthropic general counsel Aparna Sridhar told Reuters that more than 91% of authors and publishers covered by the agreement had claimed their payments, and said the company looked forward to closing the matter.

The approval is significant because it is one of the most closely watched outcomes in the wider legal fight over how AI companies acquire and use copyrighted material for model training. The Verge also notes that Anthropic still faces other copyright suits, including from Chicken Soup for the Soul and additional authors who argue the per-book payment is insufficient.