Anthropic inadvertently caused widespread disruption on GitHub after issuing a copyright takedown request aimed at removing leaked source code from its Claude Code application. The notice, filed under U.S. digital copyright law, resulted in approximately 8,100 repositories being taken offline, including many unrelated or legitimate projects.
The issue originated when a recent release of Claude Code, Anthropic’s command-line developer tool, unintentionally exposed portions of its underlying source code. The leak quickly circulated among developers and AI enthusiasts, with copies appearing across multiple GitHub repositories.
In response, Anthropic filed a takedown request to remove the leaked code. However, due to the structure of GitHub’s repository forking system, the request extended beyond the intended targets. It affected not only repositories hosting the leaked material but also legitimate forks connected to Anthropic’s own public codebase.
The scale of the takedown prompted immediate backlash from developers who found their repositories inaccessible despite containing no sensitive or infringing content.
Company Reverses Action Amid IPO Preparations
Anthropic later acknowledged that the scope of the takedown was broader than intended. According to the company, the repository identified in the request was part of a larger fork network, which led to the unintended removal of thousands of related repositories.
The company has since retracted most of the takedown notices, limiting enforcement to a single repository and a smaller set of confirmed forks containing the leaked code. GitHub has restored access to the majority of affected repositories following the correction.
This was not intentional, we’ve been working with GitHub to fix it. Should be better now.
— Boris Cherny (@bcherny) April 1, 2026
The incident highlights operational challenges associated with managing proprietary AI systems in open development environments. As companies increasingly release tools and APIs to developers, the boundary between public and private codebases can become more complex to manage.
The timing of the error is notable as Anthropic is reportedly preparing for a potential initial public offering as soon as October this year. Such incidents may draw increased scrutiny from investors, particularly around internal controls, compliance processes, and intellectual property management.
