Authors Challenge Publishers Over Anthropic Settlement Claims

In an unexpected twist following the $1.5 billion copyright settlement by Anthropic, many authors have voiced their concerns over publishers and agents vying for a share of the payouts. The settlement, which was finalized in July after a significant court ruling on the legality of training AI models with copyrighted material, is now mired in claims disputes.

Settlement Details and Author Payments

Under the settlement terms, authors of nearly 500,000 works are set to receive $3,000 for each pirated title. For books still in print with traditional publishers, the payout is split evenly between the author and publisher. However, if a book is self-published or has reverted rights, the author retains the full payment. This structure has led to confusion, as many authors report that publishers are improperly claiming payments on works that no longer belong to them.

Concerns Raised by Authors and Experts

Prominent authors like April Henry have taken to social media to express their frustrations, noting instances where publishers claimed titles that had reverted over a decade ago. Victoria Strauss from the blog Writers Beware highlighted two major issues: publishers seeking compensation for works they no longer own and those attempting to claim the full payout when they are only entitled to half. Strauss suggested these problems may stem from inadequate record-keeping rather than intentional wrongdoing.

Agents Also in the Mix

Adding to the complexity, some literary agents have reportedly begun making claims on the settlement funds, raising eyebrows among authors. Courtney Milan, using her pen name, bluntly criticized agents attempting to stake a claim, stating, "What the fuck, stop that shit!" This has further complicated the authors' ability to navigate the claims process, especially since rights reversions must have occurred before August 10, 2022, for authors to claim the full payment.

Source: techcrunch.com