Japanese Book Distributor Sparks Outrage After Selling Volumes to Anthropic for AI Training Supposedly Unknowingly

Major Japanese book distributor Nippan Group Holdings is facing fierce backlash from domestic publishers after disclosing that one of its subsidiaries sold large quantities of books to US based AI developer Anthropic.

The revelation stems from internal court documents made public during a recent US class-action lawsuit filed against Anthropic in August 2024 over alleged copyright infringement. The documents detailed "Project Panama," an initiative under which Anthropic procured massive volumes of books across Europe, North America, and Asia. Included on the list of suppliers was "Nippan Japan."

Following growing concern across the industry, the Japan Book Publishers Association (JBPA) formally inquired whether member publications had been sold to the Claude creator and requested an immediate halt to sales intended for AI development. Nippan subsequently admitted to selling books to Anthropic between December 2024 and December 2025, though it claimed it was unaware the purchases were intended for AI training purposes. Key details, including the total volume, financial terms, and whether the physical books were destroyed to facilitate digitization, remain unconfirmed.

The disclosure has sent shockwaves through Japan's publishing sector, with industry leaders expressing outrage over the distributor's actions. "Nippan is supposed to be in a position to protect Japan’s publishing culture," one executive told Yomiuri Shimbun. "I cannot forgive it for doing something that could undermine that very culture."