Overview

• A preliminary‑approval hearing is set for Sept. 8 before U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco.
• The proposed class deal totals at least $1.5 billion, paying about $3,000 per work for an estimated 500,000 books, with an additional $3,000 for any work added above that figure.
• Anthropic would destroy downloaded copies from Books3, Library Genesis and Pirate Library Mirror, and the agreement includes no admission of liability.
• Alsup’s June ruling found training on lawfully acquired books can be fair use but said bulk downloading and storing pirated books was unlawful, creating major damages exposure ahead of a December trial.
• Plaintiffs call it the largest publicly reported copyright recovery to date, and while it may guide other AI disputes, it leaves potential claims over model outputs and separate suits against other companies ongoing.