Anthropic agrees to pay $1.5 billion to settle authors' copyright lawsuit
Original story by
CNBC•Sep 5•Lawsuit, AI, Copyright

📰 Article Summary
Anthropic has agreed to pay over $1.5 billion to settle a class action lawsuit brought by a group of authors alleging copyright infringement regarding the unauthorized use of their books. The settlement involves a payment of approximately $3,000 per book plus interest and a commitment to destroy the datasets containing the allegedly pirated material. This case underscores the ongoing legal debates surrounding copyright infringement in the AI field, particularly with respect to the use of copyrighted materials for training AI models.
📌 Key Facts
- Settlement Details: Anthropic will pay at least $1.5 billion to settle the lawsuit filed by authors claiming their books were illegally accessed. Each author will receive approximately $3,000 per book along with interest, marking a significant financial resolution.
- Legal Implications: The lawsuit emphasizes the contentious issue of copyright infringement in the age of AI, as this case may set a precedent for how AI companies use copyrighted materials.
- Fair Use Ruling: A judge previously ruled that Anthropic’s use of books to train its AI models could be considered 'fair use,' but the trial will assess whether there was infringement in the manner the books were obtained.
- Largest Copyright Settlement: If approved, this settlement will represent the largest publicly reported recovery related to copyright infringement, signaling a significant legal victory for the authors involved.
- Company Valuation: Despite the lawsuit, Anthropic recently closed a funding round that valued the company at $183 billion, indicating strong investor confidence in its business model.
📂 Article Classification
Topic Tags: Copyright and AI
📍 Location
San Francisco, California United States
Content is AI generated and may contain inaccurate information.