Hundreds of Irish writers are set to receive a share of millions of euro following a €1.31 billion settlement in a major copyright case involving artificial intelligence company Anthropic.
According to the Irish Writers Union, the agreement marks the first successful legal action against a tech company over how large language models are trained. The settlement stems from a 2024 class action led by authors Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber, and Kirk Wallace Johnson, which ultimately covered around 482,000 works, with claims filed for 91 percent of them.
At the centre of the case was Anthropic’s use of LibGen, an online “shadow library” that provides free access to millions of books outside copyright law. The compensation relates specifically to this use of pirated material, rather than the broader issue of training AI models on copyrighted works without permission. A US judge indicated that such training may fall under “fair use,” a legal defence that would not apply under European law.
The $1.5 billion (€1.31 billion) settlement equates to roughly $3,000 (€2,630) per book. While well-known Irish authors such as Sally Rooney, Marian Keyes, and Colm Tóibín are included, the flat-rate payment is relatively minor for them compared to their overall earnings. For lesser-known writers, however, the sums are more significant. Irish Writers Union disputes officer Conor Kostick, for example, expects to receive up to €7,500 for his three books, although payments will be shared with publishers.
Eligibility for compensation depends on whether works were registered for US copyright at the time of the settlement, a requirement that excludes many Irish titles. Despite this limitation, Kostick described the case as highly significant, noting it highlights the imbalance between individual authors and large technology companies that have used copyrighted works without permission.
Publishers will also benefit, though to varying degrees. Ivan O’Brien of O’Brien Press expects the company to receive just over €10,000, describing the outcome as welcome in principle but modest in financial terms. Larger publishers with a stronger US presence, such as Bloomsbury, are expected to receive substantially higher payouts.
Children’s author Oisín McGann said four of his books qualified for compensation, potentially earning him up to €10,000. However, he noted that an additional 12 of his works were excluded due to the US copyright requirement.
Legal experts have raised concerns about the broader implications of the case. Barry Scannell, a copyright specialist at William Fry, warned that while the settlement is financially significant, it may reinforce the idea in US law that using non-pirated books to train AI models qualifies as fair use. Reports suggest some tech companies are already purchasing second-hand books in bulk and digitising them to avoid copyright restrictions.
The situation in the European Union differs sharply and has been described as problematic for both rights holders and users. Meanwhile, Samantha Holman, chief executive of the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency, said the case has brought important attention to the existence of shadow libraries and may encourage further legal action, although major tech firms such as Meta and Google are known to prolong disputes.