Bartz v. Anthropic Copyright Case
The Claims Process for Textbook & Academic Authors is Unique. What to Know Now That You've Filed Claims.
Please note: TAA does not represent any individual authors in this case and any statements it makes with regard to the case are not and should not be taken as legal advice. TAA is trying to help its members understand and navigate the claims process, but each author will have to look at their own contract to determine the best course of action in their particular circumstances. For legal advice on your own particular claim, we recommend you speak to your attorney.
  
   
 Educational/textbook and university press/academic authors represent almost half of the close to 500,000 works infringed in Bartz v. Anthropic.
For more on that decision and TAA's role, click here.
The deadline for filing claims was March 30, 2026. If you didn’t file a claim by March 30, 2026 you are no longer eligible to file a claim (except in this instance). For default or undisputed claims, you should not have to do anything further, but for disputed claims or any educational authors, here is what to expect next:
- If your claim does not match other claimants' (for example, if the publisher claimed 85% or a 100%, and you are claiming 50%), you will receive written notice in late June or July 2026 to participate in a "meet and confer" process". That notice will include access to your consolidated claim form. Keep an eye on your inbox/mailbox for more correspondence from the Settlement Administrator.
- That written notice will also give you a summary of your rights and next steps, including the Settlement Administrator's role to facilitate agreement and resolution and your right to submit any disputes to the special master. If claimants can’t resolve a dispute or disagreement with the Settlement Administrator's assistance, they may submit the dispute to the special master by requesting a written request to JND (typically by email).
- It's important to note that if you do not agree with the outcome of the "meet and confer" process, you have the right to have a neutral special master determine the amount of your claim.
Guidance for textbook/educational authors with disputed claims:
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.
Guidance for university press authors:
- The court approved a 50-50 default split between the author(s) and publishers for trade and university press works.
- If you opted for the “default” split you should not need to do anything further. Assuming the publisher picked that as well, the monies should be paid out in due course. Depending on what payment option you picked, keep an eye out for payment as well.
- If your claim does not match other claimants', you will receive notice to participate in a "meet and confer" process. Keep an eye on your inbox/mailbox for more correspondence from the Settlement Administrator.
Payment Amounts:
Each Work infringed gets roughly $3,000 for each infringed work, and this amount is split as follows:
- For trade and university press works, the amount is split 50-50 between the author(s) and publishers, unless either party did not opt for the default split.
- There is no default split for textbooks/educational works - the splits for these are determined through a separate claims process. (See “Guidance for textbook/educational authors”).
- If there are multiple editions of a book, each edition counts as a separate work if it was separately registered for copyright and has a different ISBN number. You should have listed each work separately on your claim form. (If you did not, reach out to the claims administrator to fix your claim form).
- No payments will be made until the claims process is complete. All claimants will be paid at the same time. Class counsel has stated that payments would start being made in August 2026.
- Any coauthors will share the author portion.
- Authors who are the sole rightsholder in a work—such as self-published authors or authors whose rights have reverted or where the contracts have otherwise terminated—will receive the full award amount.
The deadline for opting out or objecting was January 29, 2026. The deadline for opting back in was March 9, 2026. Learn more
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.”
The claims deadline has passed. Can I still file a claim?
Only in the following instance:
The Settlement Administrator is required to inform you when any other claims are filed for your works. If you received a notice informing you that someone else has filed a claim for your work and you have not already filed a claim, you have 70 days from the date of that notice to file your own claim. If you have already filed a claim, you can disregard this notice (except to be aware that there are other claimants who may be seeking a share of the settlement funds).
Other Settlement Guidance TAA Has Provided:
Questions? Contact Kim Pawlak, TAA Executive Director at (507) 459-1363 or [email protected] or the Settlement Administrator at (877) 206-2314 or [email protected].
Support TAA’s Advocacy for Textbook and Academic Authors in the Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement. While critical in supporting textbook and academic authors whose works are included in the Settlement, TAA’s advocacy efforts have been costly— and we could use your help to defray those costs. Learn more
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