Authors Guild disputes fair-use ruling on Anthropic's book training
A June 2025 ruling treated Anthropic's training use of books as fair use but rejected its defense of a pirated library. Anthropic welcomes the training ruling; the Authors Guild disputes it. A later settlement addressed separate piracy claims.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
The order distinguishes copying for training, scanning purchased books and building a permanent library from unauthorized downloads. Permission for one use does not erase liability for another.
This is a district-court decision concerning the uses and record in this lawsuit. It is not a general license for every AI training practice or infringing output. The Guild's June 2025 prediction of a later trial is historical, since the parties subsequently settled the piracy claims.
Timeline
2 timeline entries on this page. Dates: June 23, 2025 to July 20, 2026
June 2025
Court distinguishes training from pirated library acquisition
Judge Alsup treated the training uses and scanning of purchased copies as fair use, but rejected that defense for the pirated central library.
[01]Bartz v Anthropic: Order on fair use
Judge William Alsup distinguishes training and scanning purchased copies from acquiring a pirated central library.
Bartz v Anthropic: Order on fair useDoc.231, introduction and conclusions, pp.1-6 and 31-32
July 2026
Court grants final settlement approval
Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín approved the $1.5 billion class settlement covering books Anthropic downloaded from pirate sites. Approval is separate from the earlier training fair-use holding.
[02]Bartz v Anthropic: Final settlement approval
Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín approves the $1.5 billion settlement and dismisses the case; approval is separate from the earlier fair-use holding.
Bartz v Anthropic: Final settlement approvalDoc.680, final approval order
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Anthropic
The book-training uses at issue in Bartz qualify as fair use.
What is disputed
Anthropic's unlicensed training use of books and the fair-use justification for that training, distinct from acquiring a pirated library.
Sources (1)
- Judge approves a $1.5B Anthropic settlement over pirated books used to train the Claude chatbot · Associated PressParagraphs on Aparna Sridhar's written statement
Disputed claim
Authors Guild
The book-training uses at issue in Bartz, which drew on pirated and scanned books, do not qualify as fair use.
What is disputed
Anthropic's unlicensed training use of books and the fair-use justification for that training, distinct from acquiring a pirated library.
Sources (1)
- Authors Guild response to Bartz fair-use order · Authors GuildThe Authors Guild's Assessment
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
2 responses. Newest first.
AnthropicCompany statement through deputy general counsel Aparna SridharDirectly involvedBefore this statement
AP reported that Anthropic deputy general counsel Aparna Sridhar made this written statement on Friday, July 17, 2026. In their reports on the court's July 20 final approval of the settlement, AP quoted part of it and Reuters quoted the full sentence.
"We reached this settlement in 2025, after the court’s landmark ruling that training AI on books is fair use under copyright law — which remains the law today"
Defended or excusedResponding to: The book-training uses at issue in Bartz qualify as fair use.
Full statement and sources
Anthropic says it settled after a court ruled that training AI on books is fair use, and says that ruling remains the law.
After the statement
Sridhar added that more than 91% of authors and publishers covered by the settlement had claimed their share of the payment.
Judge approves a $1.5B Anthropic settlement over pirated books used to train the Claude chatbot · Associated PressParagraphs on Aparna Sridhar's written statementJudge approves Anthropic's $1.5 billion settlement of copyright lawsuit · ReutersParagraphs quoting Aparna Sridhar's statementWhy this label?
Anthropic defends its training use of books as fair use. The statement does not defend the pirated library that the settlement covers.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Authors GuildAuthors' advocacy organizationDirectly involved Before this statement
In its June 25, 2025 assessment of Judge Alsup's June 23 order, the Guild first said it was relieved that the court had treated Anthropic's downloading of pirated books as infringement.
"we disagree with the decision that using pirated or scanned books for training LLMs is fair use."
CondemnedResponding to: The book-training uses at issue in Bartz, which drew on pirated and scanned books, do not qualify as fair use.
Full statement and sources
The Guild rejects the training fair-use holding, arguing it undervalues authors' licensing and other markets.
After the statement
The Guild said the decision misread precedent and gave too little weight to authors' licensing markets, and predicted reversal on appeal. The parties later settled, and the court dismissed the case when it approved the settlement in July 2026.
Authors Guild response to Bartz fair-use order · Authors GuildThe Authors Guild's AssessmentWhy this label?
The Guild directly criticizes the training use and its fair-use justification, even while welcoming another part of the order.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(5)
Original text
Bartz v Anthropic: Order on fair use
Relevant passage: Doc.231, introduction and conclusions, pp.1-6 and 31-32
About this source
Judge William Alsup distinguishes training and scanning purchased copies from acquiring a pirated central library.
- Author
- Judge William Alsup
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Judge approves Anthropic's $1.5 billion settlement of copyright lawsuit
Relevant passage: Paragraphs quoting Aparna Sridhar's statement
About this source
Reuters report on the July 20, 2026 final approval, republished by Insurance Journal. It quotes Anthropic deputy general counsel Aparna Sridhar's written statement in full.
- Author
- Blake Brittain
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Judge approves a $1.5B Anthropic settlement over pirated books used to train the Claude chatbot
Relevant passage: Paragraphs on Aparna Sridhar's written statement
About this source
AP's report on the July 20, 2026 final approval quotes part of a written statement from Anthropic deputy general counsel Aparna Sridhar and says she made it on Friday, July 17.
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Bartz v Anthropic: Final settlement approval
Relevant passage: Doc.680, final approval order
About this source
Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín approves the $1.5 billion settlement and dismisses the case; approval is separate from the earlier fair-use holding.
- Author
- Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Authors Guild response to Bartz fair-use order
Relevant passage: The Authors Guild's Assessment
About this source
The Guild rejects the training holding while welcoming the separate piracy result. Its trial prediction predates settlement.
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Authors Guild disputes fair-use ruling on Anthropic's book training
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/bartz-anthropic-book-training-fair-use-authors
The Dispute Index. "Authors Guild disputes fair-use ruling on Anthropic's book training". First published: 2026-10-15. Last updated: 2026-10-15. https://disputeindex.com/cases/bartz-anthropic-book-training-fair-use-authors