Anthropic's $1.5B copyright settlement faces judge delay as authors object to payouts

US District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin declined to approve Anthropic's $1.5 billion copyright settlement, the largest in US history, after multiple authors and class members raised objections. Authors argued that lawyers' fees of approximately $320 million were excessive and that individual payouts were a 'pittance.' The judge asked authors to address key concerns of objectors before the settlement can proceed, delaying final approval.