Brief
Anthropic payouts may slip as class lawyers appeal fees
ALLi’s news editor flags an appeal over reduced legal fees that could delay the $3,000-per-title payments, plus a Guild survey on who actually registered the copyrights.
Why it matters. If you believed you were in the settlement class, the money is not on a fixed calendar.
On the 4 September Self-Publishing with ALLi news episode, Dan Holloway reported two developments around the Anthropic settlement. First, class counsel are appealing a cut to their fees, a fight that can freeze distribution even after a settlement is approved. Second, an Authors Guild survey found that 93 percent of publishers, not authors, contractually control copyright registration — which is the paperwork the claims process cares about.
Indie authors who self-registered their own works are in a different position from authors whose former publisher holds the registration. Do not spend a projected cheque. Read ALLi and Writer Beware before filing or forwarding claim emails; settlement processes attract copycat phishing.