Bartz v Anthropic Granted Final Approval by the Court

By Kim Pawlak

On July 20, 2026, United States District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin approved the final settlement in the landmark $1.5 billion copyright infringement class action Bartz v. Anthropic, calling the settlement “fair, reasonable, and adequate.” The court also ruled that the proposed settlement “was negotiated at arm’s length; the relief provided for the Class is adequate; and the proposed Settlement treats Class Members equitably relative to each other.” She overruled all 53 objections filed with the court opposing the settlement on various grounds.

Class Members in Anthropic Settlement Can Request Report on Their Claim

By Kim Pawlak

While ​class members await United States District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin’s approval of the final settlement in the landmark $1.5 billion copyright infringement class action Bartz v. Anthropic, class attorney Rohit Nath​, a partner at Susman Godfrey, said class members can reach out to the claims administrator for a report on their claim. That report, he said, includes “any other parties that have filed claims on their work and the requested percentages.”

Bartz v. Anthropic Copyright Case: Guidance to Anthropic Settlement Process for Educational Authors

TAA has new guidance for educational authors whose works are involved in the Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement but who are not eligible for the 50/50 default split, or for non-educational authors who chose to opt out of the 50/50 default split. Attorney Brenda Ulrich, with Archstone Law Group, has been working with TAA on providing this guidance.

TAA Advocacy Update: File a Claim on the Anthropic Settlement Before March 30

If you didn’t opt out of the Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement, it means your Work is still in the Settlement.

“Opting out” is not the same thing as not filing a claim. The only way to “opt out” was to complete an “opt out” form on the Anthropic website before February 9.

Each work has at least two potential claimants: you and your publisher. More if there are multiple authors.

TAA Shares Results of Survey Seeking Authors’ Experiences Filing Claims in Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement

Between December 2025 and early January 2026, the Textbook & Academic Authors Association conducted a survey seeking authors’ experiences filing claims in the landmark Bartz v. Anthropic settlement. The majority of respondents 87% (52) said they were educational/textbook authors, 23% (14) said they were university press/academic authors, 8% (5) said they were trade authors, and 3% (2) were unsure which author type they were.

While a majority of respondents to the survey said they had already filed claims (31 of 60), almost the same number of respondents said they had not (29 of 60).