Omnicom Media is merging Hearts & Science and Mediahub into a single global agency network spanning 40 markets, expected to launch next month under a new name, overseeing roughly USD$9.1bn (£7.19bn) in annual billings. A judge approved Anthropic’s USD$1.5bn (£1.19bn) settlement to authors and publishers over copyright infringement, with Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin signing off; rights holders will receive $3,000 (£2,370) per work across an estimated 500,000 works. M+C Saatchi signed heads of terms for a management buyout of its Australia and New Zealand business, with completion expected in October and backing from growth investment firm Parc, led by chief executive Dani Bassil alongside other executives.