Authors Challenge Publisher Claims Over Anthropic’s $1.5 Billion Copyright Settlement Payments

Authors receiving payments from Anthropic’s $1.5 billion copyright settlement are challenging claims made by some publishers and literary agencies over how the money should be distributed.

The dispute follows the approval of Anthropic’s settlement in a copyright class action case involving the use of books to train artificial intelligence models. Under the agreement, authors of nearly 500,000 titles are eligible to receive $3,000 for each pirated work included in the settlement.

The payment rules depend on the status of each book. If a title remains in print through a traditional publisher, the settlement payment is divided equally between the author and publisher. For self-published books or titles where publishing rights have reverted to the author, writers may be entitled to receive the full payment.

Some authors have reported receiving notices that publishers or other parties are claiming portions of their settlement payments. Mystery and thriller author April Henry publicly questioned a publisher claim involving one of her books in a social media post, saying the rights had reverted years earlier.

Writing at Writers Beware, Victoria Strauss said authors have reported two main types of issues: claims involving books for which publishers may no longer hold rights, and claims seeking the full settlement amount when publishers may be eligible only for half.

Strauss said the issues may be related to inaccurate records rather than intentional misconduct, noting that some publishers have acknowledged mistakes and contacted Anthropic to correct them. The New York Times also reported on concerns surrounding the settlement process.

Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said she did not view the situation as publishers attempting to take money from writers, instead pointing to challenges created by complex records and settlement administration. The organisation has shared information about how authors can dispute payment allocations.

Some authors have also raised concerns about literary agents seeking a portion of settlement payments. Author Courtney Milan criticised those claims in posts on Bluesky, arguing that agents are not rights holders of the books involved.

In another Bluesky post, Milan discussed concerns about agents attempting to claim percentages from settlement payments and questioned whether such claims were appropriate.

According to guidance shared by the Authors Guild, authors seeking a full payment allocation must meet specific requirements, including having rights reverted before Aug. 10, 2022, the settlement’s listed download date.