In September, the judge in the Anthropic case indicated he might have to hold his nose in order to approve the $1.5 billion settlement deal. Well, the plaintiffs were able to make their case convincingly regarding settlement terms. The settlement is preliminarily approved, and the judge calls it “fair.” (The final approval is expected next year.) The earliest that authors can expect payment is June 2026, but of course delays are always possible, especially in the event of an appeal.
I urge authors to bookmark the official settlement website.
Beginning October 2, authors can check an online searchable list to see if their works are included in the Anthropic settlement. If so, they can complete the claim form on the website. Authors will also receive a formal class notice by mail and/or email from the settlement administrator. Direct notice will be completed by November 24.
- The Authors Guild has released a statement about the approved settlement.
- The Authors Guild lawyers have put together a Q&A for authors; the organization is part of the massive effort of identifying the authors who are part of the class and helping them fill out claim forms. The deadline to submit a claim is March 23, 2026.
- If you’re part of the class and fail to submit a claim, you will waive your claims against Anthropic. If you want to be able to sue Anthropic separately, you must formally opt out. Keep an eye on the settlement page for information.
- The Authors Guild has also created a brief explainer on copyright registration, a key component of how the class is defined in this case.
If you need an explanation of the Anthropic case from the beginning, I highly recommend Victoria Strauss’s summary at Writer Beware.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
