Bartz v. Anthropic Copyright Case
The Claims Process for Textbook & Academic Authors is Unique. Review Our Guidance Before Filing Claims.

Educational/textbook and university press/academic authors represent almost half of the close to 500,000 works infringed in Bartz v. Anthropic.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

STEP ONE: See If Your Works Are Included in the Settlement

Click on the "Works List" button below to access the searchable database of works included in the settlement to check if your books are there. If your works aren't there, you are not part of the settlement. If your work is on the Works List, you will also receive a notice by mail and/or email from the Settlement Administrator. Visit the Authors Guild website for more information on how the Works List was created.

STEP TWO: File a Claim

You can file a claim at any time by clicking on the "File a Claim" button below. Before filing a claim, university press authors should review our guidance here, and textbook authors should review our guidance here. If your works are on the works list, you will receive a notice from the Settlement Administrator, which will contain a "Unique ID". You will be asked for that when you visit the claim site, but you do not need to have that in hand before filing a claim.

• If you have already filed claims, but want to correct them, (especially if our guidance changes what your claims will be), you can change it later by reaching out directly to the claims administrator at (877) 206-2314 or [email protected].
• The deadline for filing a claim is March 23, 2026.

Payment Amounts and How University Press & Textbooks/Educational Works Will Be Treated in the Settlement

Each publisher-author of the works included in the plaintiffs' class will split roughly $3,000 for each infringed work, with the share paid to each based on the terms of the settlement agreement.

• The court approved a 50-50 default split for trade and university press works. 
• There is no default payment amount for textbooks/educational works. 
• If there are multiple editions of a book, each edition will count as a separate work under the settlement if each edition was separately register for copyright and has a different ISBN number. 
• Payments won't be paid out until the claims process is completed, which will be in the first quarter of 2026. All claimants will be paid at the same time. 
• If there is a current publisher(s) (which still possesses an exclusive license), the author(s) will split the $3,000 with the publisher. Any co-authors will share the author portion and, if there are multiple publishers (e.g., different publishers have exclusive rights to different formats), they will share the publisher portion. 
• Authors who are the sole rightsholder in a work—such as self-published authors and authors whose rights have reverted or where the contracts have otherwise terminated—will receive the full award amount. 

Guidance for University Press Authors

The court approved a default 50-50 split for university press authors. You should select that as your default on the claim form, unless:

•  Your book went out of print, your publisher went out of business or rights have reverted back to you for any other reason. In that case claim 100%.
• You think your work is not a textbook but is listed as "Education". “Education” in the Anthropic settlement means “Textbook.” They mean it is published by an educational publisher. You can challenge that designation by including the correct information in the claim submission.
• “Not education” is a category that includes both trade books and academic/university press books.
• If you have both textbooks and trade or university books on the list, it is better to fill out two claims forms: one for the “Education” works and one for the “Not education” works.
• You believe you should receive more than 50%. Submit your claim for the higher amount, along with supporting clauses from your contracts if you have them. If the publisher disputes your claim, the Claims Administrator will contact you to try and resolve the dispute. You are not obligated to reach an agreement; you have the right to have your claim determined by a neutral special master assigned by the court.

"TAA played an instrumental role in negotiating a 50-50 default split on behalf of university press authors, said Kim Pawlak, TAA Executive Director. "We view this as a fair and equitable division of the settlement proceeds between that class of authors and publishers in the case."

Guidance for Textbook/Education Authors

The court approved a separate claims process for determining the split between educational/textbook authors and publishers. This approach reflected the court’s concern that settlement proceeds be split in accordance with the terms of existing publishing agreements, and the greater variety of arrangements found in educational/textbook contracts.

• When you file your claim, you will be asked the percentage of the settlement--for each of your titles--to which you believe you are entitled. If your book is in print, you should claim 50%, based on the prevalence of contractual clauses in textbook publishing agreements that provide for a 50/50 allocation of certain revenue between publishers and authors.
• If your book is out of print, the publisher is out of business, or the rights have reverted to you for any other reason, you should claim 100%.
• If you have a copy of your contract readily at hand, you should provide it. If you do not, and the publisher disputes the percentage you have claimed, the settlement administrator will request a copy of the contract from you and from the publisher. You will have another opportunity to submit your contract.
• If you and the publisher do not agree on the percentage allocation (for example, if the publisher claims 85% or a 100%, and you are claiming 50%), the Claims Administrator will contact you to try and facilitate an agreement. You do not need to agree with the publisher. You have the right to have a neutral special master determine the amount of your claim.

TAA Statement on Bartz v. Anthropic:

“Artificial intelligence poses a special threat to textbook and academic authors, who have throughout modern history been creators and custodians of the actual, human intelligence that is necessary to defend against the excesses, errors, and unintended consequences of overreliance on new technologies. The piracy of academic works and textbooks, which have shaped society by supporting the growth and development of generations through scholarly advancement and pedagogically sound educational materials, warrants the largest class action copyright settlement in history. We are hopeful that our legal system will provide protection to authors, where ethics and fairness have often failed.

The settlement is not enough. Textbook authors, in particular, continue to be in a pitched battle with certain educational publishers who refuse to negotiate fairly or honor prior commitments. The Textbook and Academic Authors Association has worked hard to support these authors, educate them about their rights, and provide support to them in their efforts to obtain a fair shake from these publishing relationships. We will continue to do so. While this settlement will not realign the relationship between publishers and authors, it is crucial that we send a united message—from authors and publishers alike—that we will not stand by while our work is stolen. In that respect, the $1.5 billion penalty on Anthropic serves its purpose, delivers that warning, and the settlement is a victory.”

Media Inquiries

We welcome questions from the media. TAA is uniquely positioned to advocate for textbook and academic authors in this settlement.

Download a PDF of TAA's September 25, 2025 press release
View TAA's Statement on the Settlement
Download a TAA logo

Media Contact:

Kim Pawlak
Executive Director
[email protected]
(507) 459-1363