Authors push back as publishers and agents make claims on Anthropic settlement
techcrunch ·
Some authors expecting payments from Anthropic's $1.5 billion copyright settlement received emails indicating that publishers or literary agents were also claiming portions of their payments. The settlement covers nearly 500,000 titles, with authors paid $3,000 per pirated work, split 50-50 with publishers for in-print traditionally published books, and full payment to authors for self-published or out-of-print works where rights reverted. Complaints on social media and to the Writers Beware blog suggest publishers are claiming payments on books whose rights had reverted long ago, or seeking the full 100% instead of the allowed 50%. While some industry figures attribute the issues to poor recordkeeping and the complex settlement process, others see the widespread and repeated errors as systemic. Literary agents are also making claims, which authors and observers say is improper because agents are not rightsholders. Authors Guild and others have provided guidance on disputing payment allocations, noting that rights reversion must have occurred before August 10, 2022, for authors to claim the full amount.
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