Anthropic's $1.5B copyright settlement is getting messy as judge delays approval
A federal judge has delayed approval of Anthropic's $1.5 billion copyright settlement following objections from authors and class members over excessive attorney fees and low individual payouts. Objectors argue that lawyers' requested $320 million in fees is disproportionate to the estimated $3,000 average payout per author and undermines fairness in the settlement. The court is now reviewing concerns that the deal may not adequately compensate harmed creators or withstand potential appeals.
- ▪A federal judge delayed approval of the $1.5 billion copyright settlement involving Anthropic due to objections from class members.
- ▪Authors objected to lawyers seeking over $320 million in fees while individual claimants may receive only around $3,000 each.
- ▪Objectors argue attorney compensation should be based on the number of claimants, not the total settlement fund, and warn the deal may fail on appeal.
- ▪One objector calculated that the legal fees could equate to $10,000–$12,000 per hour, which he called excessive compared to prior court standards.
- ▪A group of 25 class members has opted out of the settlement and filed a new lawsuit, signaling ongoing legal challenges for Anthropic.
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“Powerball-size” attorney payouts Anthropic’s $1.5B copyright settlement is getting messy as judge delays approval Lawyers accused of rushing historic settlement to seize $320 million in fees. Ashley Belanger – May 15, 2026 5:51 pm | 41 Credit: SvetaZi | iStock / Getty Images Plus Credit: SvetaZi | iStock / Getty Images Plus Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav After several authors and class members raised objections to Anthropic’s $1.5 billion settlement over its widespread book piracy to train AI, a federal judge has delayed final approvals of the settlement.
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