What is the Claim Form Deadline?

Not yet set. The deadline will be announced in the class notice after preliminary approval.

$1.5 Billion Anthropic AI Copyright Class Action Settlement

Image Credit: Google | Published: October 14, 2025

Claim Form Deadline: March 26, 2026

Payout: $3,000 (Estimated)

Settlement Status: Open to Claims

You may be part of a new $1.5 billion class action settlement reached with Anthropic over allegations that the company downloaded large collections of copyrighted books from libraries and used them to help train its Claude AI models, violating the rights of intellectual property owners. The class action settlement is awaiting approval before a federal Court in San Francisco and will pay out an estimated $3,000 per covered work to qualified claimants, subject to court-approved fees and costs.

What is the Total Settlement Amount?

The proposed class action settlement fund is $1.5 billion.

How Do I Qualify For a Payout?

You may qualify if you are a rights holder of a book that appears on the Works List tied to the case. Plaintiffs have identified roughly 465,000 books so far that may be part of the lawsuit.

How Much Can I Get Paid?

Reports indicate an estimated payment of about $3,000 per covered work. Payments are subject to court-approved fees and costs, and depend on how many rightsholders submit valid claims. Anthropic also agreed to add $3,000 per work if the final Works List exceeds 500,000 titles.

How Do I File a Claim?

File a claim by the deadline of March 23, 2026.

What are the Important Dates?

• September 5, 2025: Preliminary approval requested of a $1.5 billion settlement in the Northern District of California
• March 23, 2026: Final claim form deadline.

When is the class action settlement payment date?

No payment date has been announced. Payments in class actions occur only after final approval and the resolution of any appeals.

Is Proof Required to File a Claim?

Yes. Claimants should expect to provide documentation proving rights in any listed work they claim, such as copyright registrations or publishing agreements.

How to Claim Your Settlement Payment

• Step 1: Check if Your Book is Eligible

Verify your book appears on the Works List of approximately 465,000 titles.

• Step 2: Gather Your Documentation

Collect proof of your rights to the book:

Copyright registration certificates
Publishing agreements
Rights assignment documents
Other ownership proof

• Step 3: Wait for Official Claim Portal

The claim form is available until March 23, 2026.

• Step 4: Submit Your Claim

Complete the official form before the court-set deadline with all required documentation.

• Step 5: Receive Payment

Get approximately $3,000 per covered work after final approval and resolution of appeals.

What did Anthropic allegedly do, and where did it get the books from?

The class action lawsuit alleged Anthropic downloaded and stored copyrighted books from shadow libraries, including Library Genesis and Pirate Library Mirror, then used those materials while developing AI systems. Books3 is frequently reported as a separate dataset composed of pirated ebooks that appears in AI training controversies. The proposed settlement requires destruction of downloaded infringing copies.

Why the Anthropic AI Copyright Settlement Matters

For authors and publishers, the proposal recognizes that unlicensed acquisition of creative works can trigger substantial liability and meaningful compensation. For AI developers, it underscores the need for clean data pipelines and licensing strategies. For courts and policymakers, it signals how copyright law is being applied to modern AI systems.