08/13/2026
A $1.5 billion settlement is an expensive reminder that innovation doesn’t replace the need for a sound intellectual property strategy.
The Anthropic case involved claims that the company acquired pirated copies of books while developing its AI technology. The court treated the use of copyrighted material for AI training differently from the way the material was obtained.
That distinction matters.
A company may be creating something new, but it still needs the right to use the material behind it.
As your business grows, more people begin making intellectual property decisions on its behalf. Employees create content. Contractors develop materials. Agencies source images and copy. Vendors introduce new software, and teams begin using AI tools in ways leadership may not always see.
Without the right agreements and internal processes, it can become difficult to know what the company owns, what it has permission to use, and where the risks are.
These issues often stay hidden until the company is preparing for an acquisition, licensing opportunity, investor review, expansion, or legal dispute.
At that level, intellectual property protection has to include more than trademark registrations. It should also account for your content, contractor-created work, licensing relationships, third-party materials, and the way your company uses AI.
If your business has grown but your intellectual property strategy hasn’t grown with it, you can book a Trademark Strategy Session with us through the link in our bio. We’ll help you understand where the gaps are and what should be prioritized next.
